Iron Man

Iron Man is a 2008 superhero film produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures, the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Jon Favreau from a screenplay credited to Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, it stars Robert Downey Jr. as industrialist and weapons manufacturer Tony Stark, who builds a mechanized suit of armor to escape captivity by terrorists and subsequently uses it to become a superhero. The film premiered in Sydney on April 14, 2008 and was released in the United States on May 2, 2008, grossing more than 585 million dollars worldwide against a budget of 150 million dollars. It received positive reviews, with critics praising Downey's performance and Favreau's balance of character development and visual spectacle.