Iron Man

These films all have different subjects. But they have hidden meanings.

These filmmakers just had to wing it.

Before Marvel cast him as Tony Stark, they made him audition!

What’s the best Marvel stinger? We ranked all of them, from ‘Iron Man’ to ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.’

There are a few things you can always count on in a Marvel movie: Post-credits scenes, superheroes played by handsome men named Chris, and, if Tony Stark’s involved, you know he’s going to be sporting some new Iron Man armor. And thanks to a fresh batch of set photos, you don’t have to wait until Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters in 2018 to check out Stark’s sleek and shiny new upgrade.

No bubble can last forever — it must eventually pop, as is the nature of bubbles. Marvel has built a vast media empire on the strength of such stars as Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, and Chris Hemsworth, but no actor would be content with playing and re-playing the same role forever. All good (and obscenely lucrative) things must come to an end, and Evans has begun the long and painful process of consciously uncoupling from Captain America’s star-spangled shield and cowl. But a new quote from the actor suggests that he may not be the first big name to make a departure from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Hong Kong Disneyland sounds like a blast, but the years to come will most likely make it increasingly difficult for American tourists to access. American visa laws with China could very well change radically under our new President-elect, and beyond that, the whole smog situation in Hong Kong could completely eradicate life any day now. But the good news is that denizens of the glorious nation that is the internet don’t have to get up off our futons to take in the latest and perhaps greatest attraction at the Happiest Place on (the other side of the) Earth.

On January 17 of next year, Hong Kong Disneyland will finally pull back the curtain on their newest attraction, the Iron Man Experience. The immersive virtual simulation puts visitors right in Tony Stark’s jet-powered shoes, offering mere mortals the chance to live like the first breakout Avenger. The ride begins as you wake up, a nasty hangover pounding like a bass drum inside your skull. You roll over in bed, where three messy-haired models peacefully slumber. Look down, and oh no — your failing heart is in danger of conking out yet again, better drag yourself across the floor to get a replacement before cardiovascular stress ends your life. What fun!

Last week, Marvel Comics released a look at its universe following Civil War II, and one notable absence was Tony Stark, although he was represented in some capacity on both sides of the teaser. On the left, Victor Von Doom held the Iron Man face plate, while on the right, new character Riri Williams stood front and center in her own suit of armor. While Marvel is being coy about Tony Stark's fate in the aftermath of the event, it was confirmed today that Riri Williams will take over as the lead character in Invincible Iron Man by Brian Michael Bendis and Stefano Caselli later this year.

It’s been a persistent question for Marvel Cinematic Universe fans: What will Marvel do when Robert Downey Jr. decides to retire as Iron Man, either because he gets too old to play a superhero or too bored with the character or too rich to be wooed from his Tony Stark-esque mansion with promises of tens of millions of dollars? A new storyline in the pages of Marvel Comics suggests one possible solution.