As far back as February it was known that Shane Black would be the one to direct the third Iron Man feature. However, most assumed that he would be writing the screenplay as well. But then at the start of April it was announced that Drew Pearce would be penning the script.
Pearce, who has had his own share of success with the U.K. superhero comedy series No Heroics, got the writing assignment due to his script for Runaways, an adaptation of the Marvel Comics series, which is slated for production in 2013.
Black, meanwhile, made the buddy cop formula an art form in the ’80s and early ’90s with Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout and The Long Kiss Goodnight. Always a screenwriter, he made the transition to director with the comedy-noir Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. It was Black’s sharp, witty dialogue that help elevate Robert Downey Jr. in his career comeback. Sadly, most of the public missed it in theaters, but it wasn’t lost on the casting directors years later looking for somebody to play a narcissistic weapons manufacturer that’s prone to drinking. You know him as Tony Stark (aka Iron Man).
The reunion of Black and Downey seems like a good fit that’ll only get better thanks to CinemaBlend learning that Black will co-write the screenplay with Pearce.
Well the fanboy outrage can reportedly now be quelled because according to CinemaBlend, Black will be co-writing the screenplay with Pearce after all.
Frankly, I love the shakeup. Iron Man 2 was okay, but it was lacking. It could be because when it comes to comic-book movies the origin story is always the best (The Dark Knight is one of the few exceptions). Also, not helping Iron Man is that the two villains he’s faced on screen are too similar to himself. It’s been reported that this third Iron Man will tone things down, and the story will be along the lines of a Tom Clancy-thriller, with Iron Man fighting real-world villains. Making Tony Stark a regular Jack Ryan, it would seem.
Iron Man 3 will hit on May 3, 2013.
