“It was very Star Wars-esque”: One Epic Iron Man Scene That Was a Huge Pain to Film Reminds Robert Downey Jr. of Star Wars and We Can’t Unsee the Resemblance Now
- Robert Downey Jr. revealed that a stormy desert scene in 'Iron Man' reminded him of 'Star Wars'.
- As Disney owns both the MCU and 'Star Wars', it is natural to see such references across their films.
- MCU has many 'Star Wars' references over the years, such as in 'The Winter Soldier', 'Homecoming' and many more.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars are two of the biggest pop culture phenomena of different generations. On one side, there is the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, who kickstarted the MCU. On the other hand, there is the epic space opera that has been entertaining fans since 1977.
Judging by the cover, both franchises might seem way too far apart. But there is a similarity that will present both universes in a whole new light. Even Robert Downey Jr. has noticed it, and fans can’t unsee it once they get the perspective.
One Iron Man Scene That Brings Back Star Wars Memories
In Iron Man 1, Tony Stark gets kidnapped by the Ten Rings, where he makes his first arc reactor and Iron Man suit with a box of scraps. There is a scene where he tries to escape the terrorists and makes a crash landing in the desert.
According to Robert Downey Jr., the production team had a lot of trouble while shooting that scene due to a sandstorm. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Downey Jr. mentioned the parallel between both franchises.
We were trying to get this take, and it was very Star Wars-esque in a way, it was very reminiscent of what Jon [Favreau] has wound up doing since with The Mandalorian. And there was just this moment where it’s like this storm kind of settled and everyone kind of looked at everyone, we were like, ‘Let’s get one more take.’
Jon Favreau was the director of Iron Man as well as The Mandalorian. In the above-mentioned scene, Stark is buried in the sand with the wreckage of his suit around him. For Downey, the landscape was almost like he was in Tatooine instead of the California desert where Iron Man was shot.
As Downey mentioned further, despite the storm or because of it, the team managed to capture the specialty of the scene. And as far as the Star Wars parallel is concerned, it is not the only time Marvel has teased the franchise, directly or indirectly.
Star Wars in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Does Star Wars actually exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? The answer is yes. It might not physically exist, but it exists as a cultural reference for sure, just like in our real world. There have been many references to Star Wars in MCU over the years.
For instance, in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, it can be seen for a brief moment at the end of the movie that Star Wars is on Steve Rogers’ list of things to catch up on after being frozen for decades.
Then there is Spider-Man, who has mentioned Star Wars multiple times. In Civil War, Peter Parker uses his knowledge of Empire Strikes Back to come up with a battle strategy. In Homecoming, he builds a Lego Death Star with his friend Ned, and a little Emperor Palpatine action figure is also seen.
Even in Eternals, it can be seen for a brief moment that Empire Strikes Back is playing on a TV screen. It is not just a throwaway reference either. The scene that is shown mirrors what is happening in the Eternals’ own story.
These connections are not just Easter eggs. They show that Star Wars holds a special place in pop culture. Moreover, having Disney as the common studio for both franchises definitely helps in dropping such scenes that connect to a wider audience.
Iron Man is available to stream on Disney+.
