IRON MAN 2 is a wrap! Producer Kevin Feige breaks it down...
It's done... kinda.
Shooting 'Iron Man 2' was a fantastic experience and we couldn't be happier.
Said Iron Man 2 producer and head of Marvel Films Kevin Feige, of the film's 71 day shoot, which began April 6th and and ended July 18th. In an interview with Marvel.Com, Feige continued:
Although there were many challenges in making this film, having Jon Favreau, Robert Downey, Gwyneth Paltrow and almost the entire crew from the first film back on board, allowed us to hit the ground running as everyone was instantly familiar with each other from day one. This dynamic allowed us to get done what we needed on a day to day basis and was a big factor in why we finished slightly ahead of schedule.
All seems well with the highly anticipated sequel to last year's blockbuster hit, Iron Man. Of course the returning cast are back in top form. But what about the new villains and heroes? Feige explained:
Scarlett Johansson, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell and especially Don Cheadle all stepped right in and meshed well with our returning cast.
Rockwell is always solid. And as well all saw in the photos from EW, Scarlett Johansson(or ScarJo for short) looks fantastic as Black Widow. And Mickey Rourke(or MickRour for short... no that doesn't work) is looking lean and mean, but I'm waiting to see more. Not quite satisfied with Rourke's look so far, but I have faith in JoFav. And I couldn't be more excited that Don Cheadle replaced Terrance Howard as Rhodey. I kinda felt Howard was the weak link in the first one. Cheadle is a badass, and I'm sure we're all hoping he steps into the War Machine suit.
Feige said of the advantages of shooting a sequel:
From our experience on the first film, we learned what works and doesn't work in terms of shooting practical versus CGI especially with the Iron Man suit. This enabled us to be much more efficient in many departments, making it a much smoother experience.
But it wasn't all smooth sailing. Feige went on saying...
What’s more difficult in shooting a sequel is that expectations are much higher for this film and we really want to top what we did on the first film. Every day involved working extremely hard in order to improve upon what we did on the first film.
I feel one of the big advantages/disadvantages for Favreau is, the success of the Dark Knight. The bar has been raised for sequels. Favreau knows the stakes, and he and the rest of the crew seem smart enough to meet, if not exceed expectations... Hopefully.
So with the principal photography finished, what's stands between us, and Iron Man 2's May 7th, 2010 release?
The next step for us is beginning the post production process which is extensive and filled with its own set of challenges. It is also a very exciting time because you get to see all the hard work from the hundreds of cast and crew members begin to come to life.
I'm sure they'll have plenty ready to show us at Comic-Con next week! We'll keep you up to date, so be sure to check back. What are your thoughts on Iron Man 2 so far?