Long before the Avengers assembled on the silver screen and the Marvel Cinematic Universe became a multi-billion dollar franchise, Iron Man was alone at the helm. The first of a 23-movie cinematic saga.
In fact, it has been exactly 12 years since Robert Downey Jr first donned the high-tech Iron Man suit on May 1, 2008. This was also before superhero flicks became all the rage.
In many ways, the Jon Favreau-directed Iron Man set the tone for all the superhero films to come. There was quite nothing like the film when Iron Man first came out. It was as adrenaline-pumping as it was funny, as slick and cool as it was suspenseful.
And though Iron Man would eventually lead the way for Marvel to claim its place as one of the highest grossing movie franchises of all time, filmmakers weren't always so sure about how the film would fare.
In fact, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige once said in an interview he wasn't even sure that Iron Man would make it into the theatres, especially since it was a B-list character.
Iron Man, which also stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, and Jeff Bridges, went on to gross more than half a billion dollars worldwide, making it the eighth highest-grossing movie of 2008.
The film had a number of hurdles set against it. It was Marvel's first self-financed film and in the beginning, they had a hard time trying to get a writer on board. Producers also weren’t sure how the film would fare, especially with the murky reputation of its lead actor, Downey Jr, who was coming out of rehab and was a frequent and notorious figure in the tabloids. Still, Favreau insisted on him with a certainty that swayed the rest of the Marvel crew.
But despite everything, Downey delivered a timeless performance as Tony Stark. As exciting as Iron Man was as a superhero movie, it is the fact that the story touches upon universal themes that resonated with its audience. There was the exploration of the burden that comes with a fraught father-son relationship, and the peeling back of the ugly layers of the narcissism. It showed a flawed and self-occupied character going through an introspective journey in order to better himself.
The year 2008 may not seem so long ago, but it has been a lifetime for the Disney-owned Marvel Cinematic Universe and the superhero-movie genre. It may be a $22.5 billion (Dh82.6 billion) franchise now, but perhaps its best movie is still its first and least assured. Mainly due to the odds that were stacked against it and the retrospective knowledge of how Iron Man would draw contrails in the sky with for other superheroes to follow.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
MATCH INFO
Watford 2 (Sarr 50', Deeney 54' pen)
Manchester United 0
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Arctic Monkeys
Tranquillity Base Hotel Casino (Domino)
RESULTS
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Without Remorse
Directed by: Stefano Sollima
Starring: Michael B Jordan
4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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The five pillars of Islam
If%20you%20go
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Champions League Last 16
Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) v Bayern Munich (GER)
Sporting Lisbon (POR) v Manchester City (ENG)
Benfica (POR) v Ajax (NED)
Chelsea (ENG) v Lille (FRA)
Atletico Madrid (ESP) v Manchester United (ENG)
Villarreal (ESP) v Juventus (ITA)
Inter Milan (ITA) v Liverpool (ENG)
Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid (ESP)
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The Transfiguration
Director: Michael O’Shea
Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine
Three stars
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
