According to an interview that director Shane Black did with Comic Book Resources, Iron Man 3 will not delve into Tony Stark's addiction to alcohol. Longtime comic book fans know that one of the character's most timeless stories was Demon in a Bottle, which chronicled Tony Stark's tragic struggle to quit drinking. It was a seminal work for the character, and it was also one of the most socially conscious comics that Marvel ever produced.
When Comic Book Resources asked Black about adapting the story in Iron Man 3, he replied, “No, because if we go there -- it's part of Tony's character, but I think the Demon in a Bottle aspect, if you go there, you really have to go there. The film then becomes about that, because the journey that involves recovering from alcoholism is an entire movie.” He continued, “I mean, I want to keep it dark and interesting and edgy and spicy and all those things, but I don't think we want to go as far as to deal with Tony's descent into alcoholic madness. That's maybe not where we want to be.”
Marvel Studios and Shane Black might be making a huge mistake by not including Stark’s alcohol problems in the movie. It would separate Iron Man 3 from Marvel’s mostly cookie-cuter line of recent superhero movies, and it would also allow Robert Downey Jr. to bring his own personal demons to the role. The thought of Downey portraying a beaten-down Tony Stark as he struggles to rid himself of his addiction to alcohol is too perfect to pass up; however, it seems like Marvel doesn't think that Iron Man toys would sell as well if they came with plastic martini shakers and little bottles of vermouth.
Let’s hope that Black and Marvel come up with an alternative that could give Iron Man 3 the type of gravitas and drama that it deserves when it comes out in 2013.
[viaComic Book Resources]
