The Marvel Cinematic Universe is pretty much the biggest thing to ever hit cinemas, but it started innocently enough back in 2008 with Iron Man, the Jon Favreau-directed, Robert Downey Jr.-led superhero flick that's... well... pretty damn good, actually. Indeed, it only grossed half a billion dollars at the box office, pretty mild results for what would follow! The film may be missing a villain, but it comes packing a whole lot more: A complex, human, and deeply-flawed protagonist, a fun world, awesome technology, and lots of humor. Iron Man is a charming film that's more than a worthy watch, and we're thrilled to jump in as we begin our exploration of the MCU. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices