Iron Man 2 (TF1): why a scene from the film had to be returned

Robert Downey Jr. returns as Tony Stark in Iron Man 2, broadcast this Sunday, April 16, 2023 at 9:10 p.m. on TF1. A film for which director Jon Favreau decided to return certain scenes. We explain why!

For a decade, Robert Downey Jr., unrecognizable for a new series, embodied Iron Man with the success that we know him. Even better, it kicked off the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe and its Infinity Saga that concluded in 2019 with Avengers Endgamewhich Jeremy Renner no longer wants to watch, and Spider-Man : Far from home. In 2010, well before bowing out as Tony Stark, the American actor returned to his favorite role in Iron Man 2, first appearance of La Veuve Noire, broadcast this Sunday April 16, 2023 at 9:10 p.m. on TF1. Behind the camera, Jon Favreau also resumes service. In this second part, the eccentric billionaire has become a planetary star since he revealed that he was hiding under the armor of the superhero. While the government wants to appropriate its revolutionary technology, it refuses to divulge its secrets. He must then face a Russian scientist thirsty for revenge.

A change of tone

Sometimes a film is no longer exactly the same between the script and the theatrical release. Terrence Malick had for example surprised his world by cutting many actors in the final editing of The Red line (1998). Not as radical, Jon Favreau has also changed his tune slightly to Iron Man 2 regarding a minor role played by Olivia Munn. In the original version, the actress was to play Rebeca, a young woman present during the sequence of Tony Stark’s birthday party, then spending the night with him. In the editing room, the director nevertheless judged that these scenes clashed with the rest of the feature film. In question ? The tone of the film, for which Gwyneth Paltrow wanted to lose weight: “They realized it was getting darker than they expected and my scenes didn’t fit into it“, explains Olivia Munn in an interview with the American magazine Complex.

When Olivia Munn makes a strong impression

Pleasantly surprised by “very comedic performance” by Olivia Munn, Jon Favreau (creator of The Mandalorian) still wanted the actress to star in Iron Man 2. “It was a very good scene. But during editing, this kind of change can happen. This has happened to me many times as an actor. So we called her back and said: ‘We can shoot another scene, and we would love to have you in the movie.‘“summarizes the director during an interview with MTV. The technical team therefore briefly returned to filming and Olivia Munn was entitled to a short sequence in the film. She finally plays Chess Roberts, a reporter (appeared once in the comics) working for the fictional TV channel WHiH Wolrd News 21. The most observant will recognize her at the beginning of the film, during the opening night of the Stark Expo. A cut scene of his original character is also still found on the canvas. Notice to Marvel fans…