History YMMV / IronMan1

* FirstInstallmentWins: Many viewers find this to be the best film in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, or of the ''Iron Man'' films at the very least, and it's hard to overcome the perception that Tony Stark is the overall protagonist of the entire MCU (or at least the Infinity Saga) by virtue of being the first hero to be introduced. Stane is also considered one of the best MCU villains in the Phase 1 and Phase 2 films (second only to Loki), which were criticized for their bad guys being mostly one-note evil people.

* FirstInstallmentWins: Many viewers find this to be the best film in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, or of the ''Iron Man'' films at the very least, and it's hard to overcome the perception that Tony Stark is the overall protagonist of the entire MCU by virtue of being the first hero to be introduced. Stane is also considered one of the best MCU villains in the Phase 1 and Phase 2 films (second only to Loki), which were criticized for their bad guys being mostly one-note evil people.

** Doubles as HeartwarmingInHindsight. When Pepper finds out that Tony is Iron Man, Pepper attempts to quit her job, telling him that he will "kill yourself" eventually, and that she won't "be a part of it.". [[spoiler:In ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', Tony literally kills himself with gamma radiation when he uses his nano-tech Infinity Gauntlet to snap away all of Thanos' forces. Pepper is the last person that approaches and speaks to him at his deathbed]].

** '''[[LargeHam TONY STARK WAS ABLE TO BUILD THIS IN A CAVE! ''WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS]]!!!'''''

** In this movie, Rhodes briefly considers using the Mark II to fight alongside Tony. In [[Film/IronMan2 the sequel]], the first time he uses it is to fight ''against'' Tony. Rhodey's "Next time, baby." line is also somewhat ironic coming from Terrence Howard, considering that [[TheOtherDarrin he was replaced]] Creator/DonCheadle in ''Iron Man 2'' and all subsequent appearances.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment:
** "Next time, baby."? Well, not so much for Terrence Howard. He gets replaced by Creator/DonCheadle in all of the following Marvel movies.
** Either this or HilariousInHindsight depending on the viewer, but Iron Man mistaking Creator/StanLee for Hugh Hefner (since he was wearing a similar getup as well as being coddled by blondes) is especially ironic when fans remember that Stan Lee is responsible for the creation of ''WesternAnimation/{{Stripperella}}''.

* AcceptableReligiousTargets: Deliberately avoided. [[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/08/muslims-in-entertainment_n_7007410.html?1428498652 Faran Tahir]], who portrayed Raza, said the original script made an allusion for Raza to be an extremist Muslim and possible reference to groups like Taliban and al Qaeda. Being a Muslim himself, Tahir understandably doesn't like this idea because as people rightfully pointed out, the beliefs that those real-life terrorists have very little to do with their faith and religion, and instead, their so-called religion-based terrorism has more to do with geographic control and personal power. So Tahir helped the production team to re-envision Raza as more of a power-hungry leader and less of a religious zealot. The references to Taliban and al Qaeda are also omitted.

%%Don't add any Complete Monster tropes to this page without the cleanup thread's approval. Novel!Stane's been approved.

** In hindsight, [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse it was the greatest decision Marvel ever made]]. ''Iron Man'' helped boost the character's popularity with the mainstream, gave Robert Downey Jr. a massive CareerResurrection, and propelled its studio to super-stardom, and convinced Marvel that even their less popular heroes could indeed become box office draws.

** In the beginning press conference, Tony offhandedly announces that he never got to say goodbye to his father. [[spoiler:With a FreezeFrameBonus in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', we find out that this is because HYDRA had Tony's parents killed. In ''Civil War'', this is revealed to be a major source of trauma for Tony and finding out that Bucky killed Howard and Maria AND that Steve knew about it effectively kills any hope of a truce between Steve and Tony]].

** The moment where a tech tells Obadiah Stane "Well I'm sorry; I'm not Tony Stark" takes on a different tone after you've seen ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'', when the same guy shows up again [[spoiler:working with Mysterio, the latter of whom's motivated by what Tony Stark previously did to him]].

** The moment where a tech tells Obadiah Stane "Well I'm sorry; I'm not Tony Stark" takes on a different tone after you've seen [[Film/SpidermanFarFromHome Spider-man: Far From Home]], when the same guy shows up again [[spoiler:working with Mysterio, the latter of whom's motivated by what Tony Stark previously did to him]].

** [[spoiler:Tony's final act in ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', [[BadassFingersnap finger-snapping Thanos and his entire army]] with his own nano-tech Infinity Gauntlet]]" re-frames the last line ''"I am Iron Man"'' in a whole new light. Since Creator/RobertDowneyJr solidified the existence of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse with that single line alone, [[spoiler:saying it as his FamousLastWords in ''Endgame'' just reminds viewers of [[EndOfAnEra how far the MCU has gotten in the past 11 years]]. It's also safe to say that Tony heeded Yinsen's own FamousLastWords with that one act of self-sacrifice]].

*** Said movie would star an [[Creator/RobertDowneyJr actor]] who, while acknowledged as talented, had become infamous for his drug addiction problems and numerous run-ins with the law in the lead role and was going to be [[Creator/JonFavreau directed]] by a man whose [[{{Film/Zathura}} last film]] had been a box-office bomb.

** The first thing Tony asks for once he's back home, even before the press conference, is a cheeseburger. [[spoiler:During his funeral in the epilogue of ''Endgame'', his daughter is asked by Happy if she wants one, saying it was her dad's favorite.]]

* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: It's hard to remember how much risk this film had. Let's count the ways:
** Marvel had signed away the rights to their most well-known properties and was now trying to produce their own films with second-tier characters (before the movie came out, Iron Man wasn't particularly well-known or popular).
** Not only that, but Marvel Comics set up Marvel Studios with an 800 million dollar bond obtained by putting their ''entire'' catalog up as collateral. If the so-called Marvel Cinematic Universe flopped, a change in management would be the least of Marvel's worries.
** The lead-off movie would feature Iron Man, a B-list (at best) comic book character, who Marvel fans hated thanks to [[ComicBook/CivilWar a then-recent villainizing arc]].
** Said movie would star an [[Creator/RobertDowneyJr actor]] who, while acknowledged as talented, had become infamous for his drug addiction problems and numerous run-ins with the law in the lead role and was going to be [[Creator/JonFavreau directed]] by a man whose [[{{Film/Zathura}} last film]] had been a box-office bomb.
** The crew only had a broad outline and most of the dialogue was ''improvised''.

* AcceptableReligiousTargets: Deliberately avoided. [[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/08/muslims-in-entertainment_n_7007410.html?1428498652 Faran Tahir]], who portrayed Raza, said the original script made an allusion for Raza to be an extremist Muslim and possible reference to groups like Taliban and al Qaeda. Being a Muslim himself, Tahir understandably doesn't like this idea because as people rightfully pointed out, he believes that those real-life terrorists have very little to do with their faith and religion, and instead, their so-called religion-based terrorism has more to do with geographic control and personal power. So Tahir helped the production team to re-envision Raza as more of a power-hungry leader and less of a religious zealot. The references to Taliban and al Qaeda are also omitted.

** In this movie, Rhodes briefly considers using the Mark II to fight alongside Tony. In [[Film/IronMan2 the sequel]], the first time he uses it is to fight ''against'' Tony. The "Next time, baby." line is also somewhat ironic coming from Terrence Howard, considering that [[TheOtherDarrin he was replaced]] Creator/DonCheadle in ''Iron Man 2'' and all subsequent appearances.

** Tony taking a medical device out of his nose when he wakes up in the cave.

* HarsherInHindsight: The POV shot of Tony while falling in the iced-up armor is exactly like [[spoiler:Rhodey's in ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'']]. In the very same suit no less.

** In a conversation early on, Yinsen comments on how empty Tony's life is, a "man who has everything and nothing". [[spoiler: 15 years later in ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', he has a family with a wife, daughter and [[LikeASonToMe a child he mentors]]. There is an enormous crowd of friends and family at his funeral showing just how many lives Tony touched and how much he gained after the cave.]]
** The first thing Tony asks for once he's back home, even before the press conference, is a cheeseburger. [[spoiler: During his funeral in the epilogue of ''Endgame'', his daughter is asked by Happy if she wants one, saying it was her dad's favorite.]]
** At the press conference Tony mentions he never got to say goodbye to his father. [[spoiler: In ''Endgame'', not only does Tony meet his father in the past, but he gives him a very heartfelt goodbye, complete with a hug.]]

** The formal event in the middle of the first film takes place at the Disney Concert Hall (guess who owns Marvel now? The Walt Disney Concert hall has nothing to do with the Disney company and was endowed by a private foundation in Walt's name, but it's still pretty funny).

** In this movie, Rhodes briefly considers using the Mark II to fight alongside Tony. In [[Film/IronMan2 the sequel]], the first time he uses it is to fight ''against'' Tony.
* ItWasHisSled:
** "The truth is… I am Iron Man." Unprecedented in any superhero movie before, its effect is lessened now that none of the supers of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse (except for Spider-Man) even ''have'' a secret identity.
** The fact that Nick Fury arrives in TheStinger to recruit Iron Man for the Avengers is pretty well known now. Kinda $3.8 billion dollars well known.

* {{Squick}}: Pepper having to replace Tony's mini-arc reactor was more than a little gross for some. Her comment about pus didn't help, and even though Stark calls it [[InsistentTerminology inorganic plasmic discharge]], having everything she pulls from his chest dripping with slime, just makes it worse.

** In a conversation early on, Yinsen comments on how empty Tony's life is, a "man with everything and nothing". [[spoiler: 15 years later in ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', he has a family with a wife, daughter and [[LikeASonToMe a child he mentors]]. There is an enormous crowd of friends and family at his funeral showing just how many lives Tony touched and how much he gained after the cave.]]

** The first thing Tony asks for once he's back home, even before the press conference, is a cheeseburger. [[spoiler: During his funeral during the epilogue of ''Endgame'' his daughter is asked by Happy if she wants one, saying it was her dad's favorite.]]

* HeartwarmingInHindsight: [[spoiler:Tony's final act in ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', [[BadassFingersnap finger-snapping Thanos and his entire army]] with his own nano-tech Infinity Gauntlet]]" re-frames the last line ''"I am Iron Man"'' in a whole new light. Since Creator/RobertDowneyJr solidified the existence of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse with that single line alone, [[spoiler:saying it as his FamousLastWords in ''Endgame'' just reminds viewers of [[EndOfAnEra how far the MCU has gotten in the past 11 years]]. It's also safe to say that Tony heeded Yinsen's own FamousLastWords with that one act of self-sacrifice]].

** '''TONY STARK WAS ABLE TO BUILD THIS IN A CAVE! ''WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS!!!'''''
*** Well, I'm sorry. I'm not Tony Stark.

* HeartwarmingInHindsight: [[spoiler:Tony's final act in ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', culling Thanos and his army with his own nano-tech Infinity Gauntlet]]]]" re-frames the last line ''"I am Iron Man"'' in a whole new light. Since Creator/RobertDowneyJr solidified the existence of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse with that single line alone, [[spoiler:saying it as his FamousLastWords in ''Endgame'' just reminds viewers of [[EndOfAnEra how far the MCU has gotten in the past 11 years]]. It's also safe to say that Tony heeded Yinsen's own FamousLastWords with that one act of self-sacrifice]].

* HeartwarmingInHindsight: The aforementioned "[[spoiler:[[Film/AvengersEndgame Tony dies by culling Thanos and his army with his own nano-machine Infinity Gauntlet]]]]" in FunnyAneurysmMoment can re-frame the last line ''"I am Iron Man"'' in a whole new light. Since Creator/RobertDowneyJr solidified the existence of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse with that single line alone, [[spoiler:saying it as his FamousLastWords in ''Endgame'' just reminds viewers of [[EndOfAnEra how far the MCU has gotten in 11 years]], it's also safe to say that Tony did ''not'' waste his life]].

* HeartwarmingInHindsight: The aforementioned "[[spoiler:[[Film/AvengersEndgame Tony dies by culling Thanos and his army with his own nano-machine Infinity Gauntlet]]]]" in FunnyAneurysmMoment can re-frame the last line ''"I am Iron Man"'' in a whole new light. Since Creator/RobertDowneyJr solidified the existence of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse with that single line alone, [[spoiler:saying it as his FamousLastWords in ''Endgame'' just reminds viewers of [[EndOfAnEra how far the MCU has gotten in 11 years]]]].

** During the press conference at the end, Tony ditches his cover story and straight-up declares that he's Iron Man to the general public. Amusing here because he demolished the usual trope of superheroes having a secret identity, right? In ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', [[spoiler:[[MeaningfulEcho those words are]] [[PreMortemOneLiner repeated as Tony's]] FamousLastWords [[HeroicSacrifice before using a makeshift, six Infinity Stone-completed Infinity Gauntlet created out of his nano-machine armour to]] [[BadassFingersnap snap his fingers]] and turn the villain and his goons to dust. [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique This comes at a serious cost, as the strain of that Gauntlet snap ends up killing him]]]]. However, this example can be HeartwarmingInHindsight, depending on your POV.