Great Character: Tony Stark
Recently I asked if there were members of the GITS community who would like to participate with guest columns. Today’s Great Character post is provided by longtime GITS follower Jason Cuthbert.
Embodying the role of a celebrated super hero and their genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist human alter ego can start to feel like the delicate balancing act of making an action movie and a “biopic.”
On one side you have to appeal to legions of passionate and outspoken Marvel Comics fans attached to the wonderfully layered personality of Tony Stark, who becomes the flying, crime fighting — Iron Man. But if Iron Man doesn’t kick butt often and creatively, will the rest of the world even care? And if Tony Stark is a science-spouting exposition spitter will audiences just start texting until he reappears as the tin man?
Thank God the guy for the job was charismatic actor Robert Downey Jr., who exceeded all critical and box office-driven expectations in the 2008 Marvel Comics blockbuster Iron Man — directed by Jon Favreau (Elf) and written by two screenwriting teams: Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (Children of Men) and Art Marcum and Matt Holloway (Punisher: War Zone).
The purely inspired genius of casting Robert Downey Jr. was that even though he never played anything remotely close to an Iron Man action hero — Downey knew a thing or three about partying and excess alcohol in his real life — bringing some “been there done that” to Tony Stark.
Iron Man plot summary from IMDB:
When wealthy industrialist Tony Stark is forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident, he ultimately decides to use its technology to fight against evil.
The wealthy, womanizing and weapons-making DNA of Tony Stark was sweetened immensely from that engagingly charming jerk persona that Robert Downey Jr. exudes effortlessly by remixing social pleasantries with snarky straight-faced sarcastic wit. Robert Downey Jr. made Tony Stark that guy that could insult your intelligence, directly to your face, and instead of giving him the finger — you want to buy him a beer.
Tony Stark with a complete stranger:
BLONDE GIRL: Tony! Remember me?
TONY STARK: [walking by] Sure don’t.
Tony Stark with his business partner:
TONY STARK: Why aren’t you wearing those pajamas I gave you?
OBADIAH STANE: Good night, Tony…
Tony Stark with his assistant:
TONY STARK: Am I making you uncomfortable?
VIRGINIA ‘PEPPER’ POTTS: Oh, no, I always forget to wear deodorant and dance with my boss in a room full of people I work with in a dress with no back.
TONY STARK: Well, you look great, you smell great. But I could fire you if that would take the edge off.
Tony Stark with military personnel:
TONY STARK: [to Jimmy, who’s raising his hand] You’re kidding me with the hand up, right?
JIMMY: Is it cool if I take a picture with you?
TONY STARK: Yes, it’s very cool.
[Jimmy hands Pratt his camera and poses with a peace sign]
TONY STARK: I don’t want to see this on your Myspace page. Please no gang signs.
[Jimmy lowers hand]
TONY STARK: No, throw it up. I’m kidding. Yeah, peace. I love peace. I’d be out of a job for peace.
Now notice how Tony Stark’s “I’m the smartest guy in the room” cavalier attitude continues to remain consistent — no matter how uncomfortable the situation is — and he usually gets his way:
Tony Stark with his high-ranking military contact:
Tony Stark with a journalist out to slander him:
Tony Stark is the definition of cool: authentically himself while being that guy that guys would love to be (super hero, rich and famous) and that guy that ladies would love to be with (super hero, rich and famous) — all while transforming “obnoxious” into a likable trait. Robert Downey Jr. has played this dude so well that Tony Stark has returned in The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, and currently the highest grossing non-James Cameron-directed movie in the world — The Avengers.
The reason Tony Stark is such a memorable protagonist is because he is flawed (like all of us) but he is willing to make up for it (especially when he wears the gold and red). In other words, Tony may unapologetically forget your birthday, but he’ll totally let you access his earnings to go get yourself something really special as his “punishment”.
With great responsibility (and irresponsibility) comes a GREAT CHARACTER: Tony Stark.
This iteration of Tony Stark is like “Superhero meets Id,” and as Jason indicates, therein lies the fun — and tension. That’s why one of the most resonant psychological moments in The Avengers is Stark’s self-sacrificial act in the Final Struggle, but as we know it all paid off in the end… with shawarma.
Thanks, Jason, for your guest post on GITS. Please join Jason and myself in comments to discuss one of the most entertaining superheroes in recent memory: Tony Stark.
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