The Untitled MCU Project - Chapter 1: Iron Man
Iron Man is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films that I did actually see in theatres, although at this point it was about 12 years ago. With more than a decade since I last saw this movie, I had actually forgotten what to expect from it. Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, initially comes off as the wealthy playboy who gets whatever he wants, whenever he wants. I’d actually initially describe him as arrogant and misogynistic. But as his story progresses we learn that underneath the surface, Iron Man has a lot to teach us.
This is the first chapter of Life and Leadership Lessons from the MCU. Here’s what Marvel Studios’ 2008 Iron Man can teach us about life and leadership.
Lesson 1: Take Calculated Risks
It’s hard to imagine a time when Marvel Studios’ movies weren’t the “hot ticket” item on almost everyone’s “must watch” movie list. But in 2008, when Iron Man first premiered, that’s exactly where we were. Comic Book characters had their niche of loyal geek followers, but they hadn’t quite overflowed into the mainstream just yet. Sure, superhero movies weren’t anything new - Batman and Superman have made their resurgences multiple times for decades, and there have been Marvel movies that featured heroes like the X-Men and Spider-Man that were well received - but still, most weren’t the “midnight showing” sold out theatre blockbusters we’ve come to expect. Iron Man, however, changed the whole trajectory for what people came to expect and love from a superhero film. It was a true game changer.
Even though Marvel Studios is now THE authority when it comes to superhero movies, when Iron Man was released that was not the case, especially with the choice to cast Robert Downey Jr. in the role of Tony Stark/Iron Man, who was almost completely “forgotten” in Hollywood at the time due to his previous struggles with addiction and run ins with the law early in his career. Almost instantly, this launched superhero/comic book fandom from the underground of the nerd/geek scene directly into the mainstream. It was also the catalyst that completely revived RDJ’s career.
The naysayers might have rolled their eyes at Marvel Studios’ bold move to once again try and introduce some of their most beloved comic book heroes and villains to the heart of popular culture, but this calculated risk sent out shock waves that changed the face of superhero movies forever.
Lesson 2: Know Your Worth and Declare Your Standards
Pepper Potts is the executive/personal assistant to the helm of Stark Industries, Mr. Tony Stark himself. The moment she steps on screen, you understand her unrelenting work ethic, her high level self confidence, her impeccable attention to detail, and her ability to own a room with authority, grace, and authenticity. Put simply, you quickly learn that Pepper Potts is a total badass who will take crap from absolutely no one, including Stark, and will do it all with a smile on her face. Pepper Potts knows exactly who she is and has the self worth to match and because of that, is unafraid to declare her standards.
Oftentimes, we as women, will consciously or unconsciously do everything in our power to make ourselves smaller and more agreeable, unable to take our own full seat at the table. Instead, we morph into this amoeba that will just squeeze into whatever space there is left. Pepper Potts, however, isn’t afraid to take up space and let her voice be heard.
Two conversations with Tony stick out as my defining moments for Pepper where she not only demonstrates that she has high self worth, but also asserts her standards. The first happens while she comes into the shop and is wondering why Tony is more than an hour late for his flight. He asks her why she’s trying to “rush” him and if it’s because she has plans. She responds, “I’m allowed to have plans on my birthday.” The conversation continues and Tony says, “Get yourself something nice from me”. To which Pepper replies, “I already did” “(And?)” “Oh, it was very nice.”
The other defining moment happens when the two are dancing at the Stark Foundation benefit. Stark asks Potts if he’s making her uncomfortable and she says, “No. No. I always forget to wear deodorant and dance with my boss in front of everyone that I work with in a dress with no back.” The conversation continues:
Tony: “But I could fire you if that would take the edge off.”
Pepper: “I actually don’t think that you could tie your shoes without me.”
Tony: “I’d make it a week. (Really?) Sure.”
Pepper: “What’s your social security number?”
Tony: “Five. (Five?)”
Peppers: “You’re missing just a couple of digits there.”
Tony: “The other eight? So I got you for the other eight.”
I love this exchange for two reasons. 1. It shows that Pepper is wholly confident in who she is. She is vulnerable and never waivers from her authenticity . 2. It shows that she understands that Tony would be completely lost without her. And he very well knows that he might be the face of the company, but she’s absolutely the brains of the operation. Potts quickly becomes a great strong female role model that others gals, like myself, can look up to.
Lesson 3: Perspective is Important
When Tony is hit with an IED on his business trip to Afghanistan and then practically left for dead in the desert, until Yinsen saved his life, he ends up with a lot of time to be intentional and introspective. Up until this point, Tony Stark was “the it guy” - handsome, ridiculously wealthy, recognized around the world, and could do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted - a total playboy in every sense of the term. In other words, he didn’t leave himself much time for personal accountability or introspection. But when you’re fighting for your life in a cave in the desert, secluded away from the outside world, it gives you time to relinquish the distractions and busyness of “normal” and instead turn inward and change your perspective. During this time, Tony came to realize that the very weapons that Stark Industries designed and built to protect American soldiers had gotten into the wrong hands and were now responsible for killing the very same people Tony swore to defend and protect. This caused him to rethink and reframe how Stark Industries operated as a whole.
When Tony finally makes it out of the desert and returns home, the very first thing does is call a press conference to announce the new direction for the company he took over when his father passed away. He begins the press conference by saying, “I never got to say goodbye to dad. I never got to say goodbye to my father. There’s questions I that I would have asked him. I would have asked him about how he felt about what this company did. If he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch the man we all remember from the newsreels. I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability.”
Obadiah Stane: “What happened over there?”
Tony Stark: “I had my eyes opened. I came to realize that I have more to offer this world than just making things blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark International until such a time as I can decide what the future of the company will be. What direction it should take, one that I’m comfortable with and is consistent with the highest good for this country, as well.”
I think this lesson is particularly relevant to our current situation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic that is having catastrophic impacts around the world. We are now in a time where we are essentially “in a cave in the desert”, free from the distractions of the outside world, but also figuring out what it takes to survive. The parallels between what we’re currently experiencing and what Tony experienced reminded me that we should take this time of being “safer at home” as an opportunity to turn inward and take inventory of who we are and how we are living our lives and of the things we should hold ourselves accountable for. As the old adage says, you cannot control what happens to you, you can only control how you respond. We are responsible for our own lives and our own happiness, and having the correct perspective allows us to connect with our true selves.
Lesson 4: Creativity is a Muscle that Needs to be Strengthened
If you follow any thought leaders in the creative space, you’ll often find that some common denominators of success include, 1. start before you’re ready and 2. be unafraid of rejection; both of which can be achieved through practice and repetition. Tony Stark embodies both of these characteristics, which I believe plays a huge role in his level of global success.
Sure, Tony Stark has a brilliant mind for technology and innovation, but he strengthens that gift with immense amounts of practice and repetition. If he’s at his home, he’s likely in his shop, tinkering, building, innovating. One thing is for certain is that Tony Stark does not wait around for his tech and inventions to be “perfect” before releasing into the world. However, he also knows that it’s essential to keep refining along the way. Even just in this first film, Tony Stark has redeveloped his arc reactor tech, twice, to ultimately keep him alive after he was struck by the IED. He also has multiple versions of the Iron Man suit that he builds and beta tests, sometimes even against Jarvis’ safety recommendations. He isn’t afraid of failure or that his tech might not work because he knows that “test and adjust” is all part of the game. One of the greatest displays of his practice and resilience is shown when he is testing the thrusters and flying mechanisms that will be used in his Iron Man suit. The first time, is a colossal failure, but that doesn’t cause Tony Stark to even bat an eye. He gets right back up again, testing and adjusting until he has a prototype that he can test for flying.
Tony Stark is not afraid to put his creations out into the world before they’re “perfect”. Instead, he releases and then refines over and over and over, improving with each new version. He doesn’t compare himself to others, other than how he can improve his own personal innovations and make them even better each time they are “released into the wild”. Hopefully you can take that and apply it to your own life, in whatever you’re working on. Click “publish”, hit “share”, whatever it might be for your creative efforts, just do it before you “feel ready”. And then when you “fail” get right back up and try again. But in that process of creating, sharing, and adjusting you will strengthen those creative muscles that will make creating the “next thing” even easier. It’s just like working out in the gym - you can’t start right out with a 200lb squat, but it’s definitely possible to build the strength in your muscles so that one day a 200lb squat will be the “easy” squat. It’s all about practice and repetition so that we may build effective habits that will lead us to success.
In fact, releasing this first chapter of this, “The Untitled MCU Project” definitely feels like one of those “not ready” moments, but if I’ve learned anything from Tony Stark is that you start before you’re ready and that you keep going when you get knocked down. Now, I also told you that this hodge podge of a creative project would include some Marvel-Inspired outfits and photos of me in those outfits I put together from the items in my closet. Surprisingly, I was able to put together two separate Pepper Potts looks as well as one Iron Man look.
Pepper Potts
Photos by: Krystyn Slack
Iron Man
Photos by: Krystyn Slack
Chapter 1: Iron Man - Cosplay/Disneybound Video Compilation