Iron Man Trilogy (2008-2013)

Iron Man may have marked the start of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the film — which singlehandedly put Robert Downey Jr. back on the A-list — also started a trilogy of solo films for Tony Stark himself. Though Iron Man 2 remains the undisputed weak link of the bunch, it does bring Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow into the mix and effectively sets the stage for The Avengers. As for the first and third Iron Man films, directors Jon Favreau and Shane Black make the most of Stark’s complex psychology by nicely balancing the ego, humor and sense of responsibility that lead him to become a hero. All together, the trilogy covers his evolution from a selfish arrogant billionaire to a heroic arrogant billionaire, never losing its spirit of adventure along the way.

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