Five years after the launch of Disney+, subscribers can finally (re)see “Iron Man”, the film that launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it now.
In 2019, the death of Iron Man and Robert Downey Jr’s farewell to the MCU made thousands of spectators cry. It must be said that the actor wore his iconic red armor for more than 10 years. It was 2007 when he signed on to lend his features to Tony Stark, billionaire and genius inventor that comic book readers adore.
The House of Ideas hopes to launch a brand new film franchise with Iron Man, putting superheroes back in the spotlight. With 585 million dollars earned worldwide for a budget of 140 million, Jon Favreau’s film becomes the most profitable of 2008. Thanks to this success, phase 1 is definitively launched.
The rest of the story, we know it. In a decade, punctuated by successes and failures, Marvel brought Iron Man, Captain America and the others into popular culture, and proved that we can also offer great cinematic moments with “geek” films.
A notable absence
When Disney+ is launched in 2021, the platform promises its subscribers a rich catalog bringing together several universes, including that of Marvel. The films, classified in chronological order, allow them to follow all the phases without getting lost. But one of them is missing: Iron Man. A shame when we know that it’s the one to whom we owe everything and that we discover the origin story of the superhero.
Marvel: 16 years ago, this little 33-second scene launched the biggest franchise in cinema history
The reason for this absence is quite simple. When Kevin Feige wanted to launch the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the businessman had no choice but to turn to other studios to produce or distribute certain films. This was the case with Fox – which held the rights to the X-Men – or Sony (for Spider-Man). The first part of Iron Man was produced entirely by Marvel but distributed by Paramount worldwide.
The two parties had to reach a broadcast agreement so that Iron Man could land this Friday, May 10 in our catalog but that also means that he could leave it from one day to the next. The rights are in fact regularly renegotiated… To rewatch the first steps of Tony Stark / Robert Downey Jr, it’s now or never!!