Now I don’t mean to say that Marvel has not had adult elements in all of its recent movies. But never before has a Marvel movie seemed so tailor-made for adults. What Shane Black has done with the character of Tony Stark is to not only make him more human but to also make him somehow more Tony Stark-esque, giving fans the Iron Man they deserve.

Iron Man 3 is loaded with everything that makes a summer movie great. Excellent action sequences you wish wouldn’t end. Genuinely funny moments. And a story that builds upon everything that Marvel has set in motion thus far. But most importantly, this movie sets a new tone for how adult a superhero movie can be without taking the Nolan route, something no one has achieved until now. If Iron Man 3 is any indication of what Marvel has in store for us post Avengers, then their movies can’t get here soon enough.

In honor of this release, let’s have a look at some of our favorites throughout the years.

Iron Man 1966

Before becoming the cultural phenomenon he is today, Iron Man made the leap from comic to cartoon. The 1966 animated series followed the exploits of genius inventor and billionaire playboy Tony Stark, as he balanced the rigors of world-saving and just chilling out and having a good time. Plus, listen to that intro song. I know that he’s sampled it in the past, but Ghostface Killah needs to work it into more tracks. It’s just precious.

Thor

Thor was always a bridesmaid and never a bride before last summer’s blockbuster version. Relegated to supporting roles, the Son of Odin appeared in the television movie The Incredible Hulk Returns. This was meant to serve as a pilot for Thor‘s own television series but the plans did not come to fruition.

Spider-Man

The Spider-Man we know and love experienced a minor overhaul in Japan. In this late 70′s series, a young motorcycle racer who accepts a blood transfusion from an alien from Planet Spider. This blood co mingles with his, granting him the awesome powers of Spider-Man. And just because this takes place in Japan, he of course pilots the giant robot Leopardon, which he uses to fight over sized monsters.

Also, a samurai cuts a house cat in half in spectacular fashion.

The films will be set in the world of 1930′s Los Angeles, where Perry Mason will have his hands full representing those rightfully and wrongfully accused of crimes. While I’m not thrilled of the idea of yet another remake, this thing is far away enough from my consciousness that it might as well be new to me. It sounds a bit like L.A. Confidential, so I’m gonna go ahead and take off my “cynical” hat and put on my “Yay because this sort of sounds like L.A. Confidential” hat. It’s a very specific hat that I don’t get to break out as often as I’d like.

Here’s Jeph Loeb, Marvel’s Head of Television, on the casting:

“Adrian and Milo are perfect as Iron Man and Wolverine. It’s extremely exciting to see these talented guys take on two of the most iconic Super Hero roles of all time.”

Both movies, about the Japan-set adventures of the super-heroes, are set to premiere on G4. And there are Blade and X-Men anime movies in the works as well. So people who like seeing super-heroes with huge eyes definitely have something to be excited about. (via ScreenRant)

What a Maaaaaaaaaaaarvel-ous pie.

It’s official: Dominic Cooper will play Howard Stark in the upcoming ‘Captain America‘ film. Although rumors have been circulating about Cooper’s involvement since May, Marvel did not send the official press release until yesterday. It’s kind of like how you know your girlfriend is going to leave you for that guy at the gym, but she hasn’t yet packed up her stuff.

As I wrote in May, Howard Stark is a Howard Hughes-esq inventor and the founder of Stark Industries, the company later inherited by his son Tony (a.k.a. Iron Man). Assuming no one has changed the Wikipedia page from which I grabbed it, that information should still be accurate. (Collider)

First Showing is reporting that Dominic Cooper has has been brought on to play Howard Stark, the father of Tony Stark (a.k.a. Iron Man) in the upcoming film, Captain America: The First Avenger. Cooper will play a much younger version of the character than was briefly seen in Iron Man 1 and 2.

According to my vast knowledge base of comic related information (a.k.a. wikipedia), Howard Stark is a millionaire inventor and the founder of Stark Industries, a weapons company that came to prominence during World War II. Like his son Tony, Howard is a brilliant but flawed character who battles with alcoholism.

The character of Howard Stark is supposedly based on eccentric aviation pioneer Howard Hughes. I’m assuming that Cooper has already begun hording jars of his own precious urine in order to get into character.

Iron Man 2 has been in theaters for less than a week, but that didn’t stop director Jon Favreau from speculating on the villain for Iron Man 3. And if Favreau has his way, Tony Stark will be taking on The Mandarin in the next installment of the popular franchise.

"You’ve got to do The Mandarin", says the director, who has been teasing this in the films already with tiny references to the Ten Ring organization, "but the problem is, the way he’s depicted in the comic books… you don’t want to see that."

The "problem" Favreau is referring to is the fact that the character, an evil descendant of Genghis Khan, has been criticized for being nothing more than a negative Asian stereotype. However, I have no doubt that Hollywood can work around this problem, changing the The Mandarin to a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant businessman hellbent on oppressing minorities and destroying the environment, while still maintaining the essence of the character.

However, since Tony Stark is set to appear in the upcoming Avengers film, work on Iron Man 3 will have to wait until at least 2012. And if my sources inside the government are correct, by that time Hollywood will have already been destroyed in a limited nuclear exchange with the Chinese, making concern about The Mandarin a moot point. (Empire)

Iron Man 2 opened in first place on Friday night, earning an estimated $52 million, easily surpassing Alice in Wonderland with the biggest debut of 2010. But when it comes to superhero movies, Batman still reigns supreme at the box office.

While weekend projections for IM2 are an impressive $135 million, it’s a far cry from the $158.4 million brought in by The Dark Knight, which holds the all-time first weekend record.

I guess this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Batman could clearly bea Iron Man in a fight. Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne are both geniuses and millionaire playboys, but Bruce Wayne is motivated by an unquenchabl thirst for vengeance. And as we all know, vengeance is a powerful motivator. Just ask my old high-school nemesis, Joseph Sinclair. I showed him…him and that wife of his. (Collider)