Iron Man 2 update

As of today, IRON MAN 2 has officially finished principal photography — just in time for director Jon Favreau to put together some footage to torch retinas at this week’s Comic Con, no doubt. (I almost said “hastily assemble” some footage, but after the shiny reception he got with his Comic Con clip a couple years back, it’s a safe bet Favs has been thinking about what he’d show before he even started filming the sequel.)

Producer and Marvel Studios honcho Kevin Feige had this to say: “Shooting IRON MAN 2 was a fantastic experience and we couldn’t be happier. Although there were many challenges in making this film, having Jon Favreau, Robert Downey, Gwyneth Paltrow and almost the entire crew from the first film back on board, allowed us to hit the ground running as everyone was instantly familiar with each other from day one. This dynamic allowed us to get done what we needed on a day to day basis and was a big factor in why we finished slightly ahead of schedule.”

Also, here’s a few interesting and juicy bits from the recent issue of EW.

Mickey Rourke gives a tiny detail about his villain Whiplash: “I told Favreau ‘I don’t want to just play him as a one-dimensional prick.’ He let me have a cockatoo, who I talk to and get drunk with while I’m making my suit.”

Favreau on the notable ‘Demon in a Bottle’ comic storyline (Tony Stark’s descent into alcoholism): “It would end up feeling like LEAVING LAS VEGAS. The story doesn’t give you much.”

Gwyneth Paltrow on her romantic rivalry with Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow: “The men want it to be like ‘Ooh, the girls are fighting over Tony’, but it’s not that standard. There’s a weird male catfight fantasy.“

Expect lots more IRON MAN meat from San Diego this week!