Based on the official Paramount release, everybody is thrilled and excited to be working on the first Iron Man feature film to be released from Paramount, produced by Avi Arad's own production company and financed by Marvel Entertainment for $525 millions. Jon Favreau has been assigned as the director of this film about Tony Stark, a rich industrialist who made his money from military contracts. Designing the Iron Man armour, he combats industrial crime and foreign spies. Paramount and Marvel intend this film to be the blockbuster of 2008.
It is the type of project that can easily consume all of the revolving financing obtained in 2005 for the creation of its own feature films because of the amount of special effects involved. Also, although a mainstay at Marvel, Iron Man is at best in the second tier of popular Marvel characters. Unlike Spider-Man or the X-Men, it is more difficult for fans to relate to a rich industrialist, especially when he doesn't have the same obssessive qualities of characters like Batman's alter ego, Bruce Wayne. If this film is perceived as a B blockbuster film, or overshadowed by more popular franchise, it could produce dire results for Marvel. The early release in May already leads one to that conclusion.
