All Iron Man Suit Up Scenes (2008-2019)

All Iron Man Suit Up Scenes (2008-2019)

The godfather of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the man who started it all, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), changed the superhero landscape in 2008 with the release of Iron Man and continued to make history throughout the budding cinematic universe. Indeed, the hero became an incredibly important cornerstone of the Marvel film universe and would be given a plethora of awesome moments throughout the years.

Whether it's founding the Avengers, creating Ultron (James Spader), fighting for the Sokovia Accords, or training New York's friendly neighborhood hero, Iron Man is vital to everything that makes this universe what it is. It feels impossible to compare the greatest moments Iron Man has had over the years, but it's worth the effort. These are the best and most rewatchable Iron Man Scenes in the MCU, ranked by how enjoyable they are, how easy it is to revisit them, and how important they are to the character's overall arc.

10
MK VII Suit-Up
'The Avengers' (2012)
Tony Stark with a smug look on his face in The Avengers (2012)Image via Marvel Studios
Going into the Battle of New York in 2012's The Avengers, Tony Stark's armor was in dire need of an upgrade. So, when he arrives atop Stark Tower to meet with Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and is eventually thrown out the window, it seems about as good a time as any. This suit-up is one of the most iconic moments of Phase One, especially with how close Stark is to hitting the pavement.

Up until this moment, the billionaire had primarily been seen armoring up on a machine or with something like a briefcase. Never before had he been able to call a suit to him and suit up midair. It was a super thrilling moment that had people on the edge of their seats, expecting a whole armor to fly at him. While it may seem pretty standard Iron Man suit-up action nowadays, this moment was groundbreaking in 2012.

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​The Avengers
PG-13
Science Fiction
Action
Adventure
Superhero
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Release Date
May 4, 2012
Director
Joss Whedon
Runtime
143 minutes
Writers
Joss Whedon , Zak Penn
9
"Shoot to Thrill" Introduction
'The Avengers' (2012)
Iron Man standing next to Captain America in front of a quinjet in The AvengersImage via Marvel Studios
As Captain America (Chris Evans) stands against Loki in the first act of The Avengers, an unexpected visitor decides to pop in and join the party to the tune of the AC/DC song "Shoot to Thrill." While it's not his first appearance in the movie, it's the first true Iron Man scene, thanks to the style and song playing.

There couldn't be a better way to get Cap and Iron Man acquainted than how things play out in this wonderful standoff against the God of Mischief himself. The scene exudes that classic Tony Stark swagger and charm while still being epic and all-around awesome, which is pretty much perfect for an Iron Man introduction. Cap's stoic reaction to Stark's showmanship is even funnier.

8
The House Party Protocol
'Iron Man 3' (2013)
A row of Iron Man suits of different varieties in midair as the house party protocol in Iron Man 3.Image via Marvel Studios
One of the most appealing things that Tony Stark does is make a suit of armor for seemingly every occasion. Fans love a good change in appearance, especially when it has functionality. Iron Man fans enjoy it when he changes the design to complete a certain task. The Marvel Cinematic Universe's Iron Man typically wears the standard Iron Man armor type, but in 2013's Iron Man 3, fans got a whole grab bag full of new armor.

It's spoken about from the very beginning of the film that ever since the Battle of New York, Tony had been tinkering with new suits of armor, which Tony calls for in the final battle. The giant action sequence features dozens of armors, each with unique abilities, all going to town on super-powered baddies. The armored billionaire also hops around the area in different suits himself, letting audiences see some incredible mechanical action at play.

Iron Man 3 IMAX Poster
Iron Man 3
PG-13
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Release Date
May 3, 2013
Director
Shane Black
Cast
Ben Kingsley , Guy Pearce , Paul Bettany , Don Cheadle , gwyneth paltrow , Jon Favreau , Robert Downey Jr.
Runtime
130 Mins
Writers
Drew Pearce , Shane Black
7
First War Machine Team-Up
'Iron Man 2' (2010)
Iron Man and War Machine back-to-back in Iron Man 2Image via Marvel Studios
If Iron Man made a grand entrance into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, then War Machine (Don Cheadle) isn't far behind, and the proof is in Iron Man 2. When Marvel Studios attempted to up the ante with the second Iron Man film, they brought the character James Rhodes back and decided to suit him up in the iconic War Machine armor in the third act.

The film allowed fans to see the two best friends team up for the first time cinematically. It's a sight to behold seeing the two coming together to take down the numerous Hammer Drones zoning in on them and, eventually, the film's big bad, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke). What makes Iron Man and War Machine team-ups so great is the fact that they're so different in personality, and that's very emphasized in this scene.

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Iron Man 2
PG-13
Adventure
Sci-Fi
Action
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Release Date
May 7, 2010
Cast
Robert Downey Jr. , Mickey Rourke , Don Cheadle , gwyneth paltrow
Runtime
124 minutes
Writers
Justin Theroux
6
Taking on Captain America and Bucky Barnes
'Captain America: Civil War' (2016)
Iron Man and Captain America fight in Captain America: Civil WarImage via Marvel Studios
One of the most heart-crushing beats of Captain America: Civil War is the divide driven between Captain America and Iron Man, pinning them against each other for the first time. This rivalry hits its peak when the film's antagonist, Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl), drives the final knife into the heart of their relationship by showing Stark footage proof that Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) killed his parents.

The scene that follows is a 2-on-1 battle as Stark tries to kill Bucky, and Captain America attempts to stop him. While the shell-head may not have won the fight, it's astounding to see him take on two super-soldiers and do more than just hold his own. He even takes off Bucky's arm and kicks the absolute crap out of Cap. This fight ranks among Captain America's most rewatchable scenes and shows just how powerful he and Iron Man are. It's also terribly emotional as fans witness the utter disintegration of a close bond.

Captain America Civil War Poster
Captain America: Civil War
PG-13
Sci-Fi
Thriller
Action
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Release Date
May 6, 2016
Director
Anthony Russo , Joe Russo
Cast
Martin Freeman , Daniel Brühl , Robert Downey Jr. , Sebastian Stan , Elizabeth Olsen , Chadwick Boseman , Chris Evans , Paul Rudd , Frank Grillo , Scarlett Johansson , William Hurt , Paul Bettany , Anthony Mackie , Emily VanCamp , Tom Holland
Runtime
147 Minutes
Writers
Stephen McFeely , Christopher Markus
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5
Facing Thanos on Titan
'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018)
Thanos holding a wounded Tony's head in Avengers: Infinity WarImage via Marvel Studios
Aside from the likes of the Guardians of the Galaxy, if there's a character who had quite the relationship with Thanos (Josh Brolin) going into Avengers: Infinity War, it was Tony Stark. Ever since the end of The Avengers, Tony had seen visions of what could come and the terror that Thanos could and would bring. So, out of every Avenger, audiences were itching to see Iron Man take on the Mad Titan.

Of the mortal Marvel heroes (because everyone knows what Thor (Chris Hemsworth) did), Stark is the only one to draw blood from Thanos during the Infinity War. Being just a man in a can, Tony somehow managed to stand toe-to-toe with Thanos, and both take and deal a hefty amount of damage. It's borderline one of the most impressive feats in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even if Tony ultimately loses the battle.

Avengers Infinity War Poster
Avengers: Infinity War
PG-13
Action
Sci-Fi
Superhero
Adventure
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Release Date
April 27, 2018
Director
Joe Russo , Anthony Russo
Cast
Chris Hemsworth , Anthony Mackie , Elizabeth Olsen , Robert Downey Jr. , Scarlett Johansson , Mark Ruffalo , Sebastian Stan , Paul Rudd , Chadwick Boseman , Don Cheadle , Samuel L. Jackson , Josh Brolin , Tom Holland , Evangeline Lilly , Paul Bettany , Chris Evans , Jeremy Renner
Runtime
149 minutes
Writers
Stephen McFeely , Christopher Markus
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4
The Briefcase Suit-Up
'Iron Man 2' (2010)
Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man a.k.a Tony Stark in Iron Man 2Image via Marvel Studios
One of the most famous suit-up scenes in superhero cinema is the astonishing "Briefcase Suit Up" from Iron Man 2. Aside from having dozens of different-styled suits of armor, Iron Man fans also love it when he finds a unique way to suit up or hide his elaborate armor. Luckily, loyal audiences got the best of the best when it came to this iconic scene in this otherwise misguided sequel.

When he's put in a sticky situation during the first entry of Ivan Vanko, Stark takes possession of a seemingly normal briefcase that quickly and epically turns into the Mark V armor. An entire armor somehow emerges from this normal-looking office item, and it makes for one of the greatest Iron Man scenes of all time. The suit of armor also foregoes the red and gold color scheme for red and silver, which makes it unique compared to others that came before.

3
The Mark III Suit-Up
'Iron Man' (2008)
Close-up shot of Iron Man in Iron Man (2008)Image via Marvel Studios
While it's not the first time that Tony steps into armor, it's the first true Iron Man suit-up. Even though it's in the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film, this iconic sequence quickly cemented itself as one of the most iconic in the franchise. After all, it's hard to argue against the scene where the Godfather of the MCU first came into his own as a hero, becoming the man who would drive said cinematic universe for years.

The scene is so iconic it would go on to be featured in promotional material for future films featuring Iron Man, especially Avengers: Endgame, at the end of the long-running Infinity Saga. What better way to mark the end of an era than referencing one of the defining moments that started it all to begin with? If there's a scene that screams "Iron Man" from beginning to end, it's this one.

2
"I... am... Iron Man."
'Avengers: Endgame' (2019)
Iron Man bloody and beaten wears the infinity stones and delivers the final snap in Avengers: Endgame.Image Via Marvel Studios
What better line to end a story than the one that began it? The iconic quote that capped off Iron Man would be brought back to cap off Avengers: Endgame over a decade later, and it couldn't be more fitting. Thanos' big line throughout the final two Infinity Saga films is "I am inevitable," which was a pretty perfect parallel to Tony's "I am Iron Man."

To get a call and response in the scene that was going to decide who would win the final battle was phenomenal and chilling in every best way. It's not only a line that is perfect for Iron Man to say as his last big statement in the MCU, but also a major mic-drop moment that had fans cheering all around the world. If there was going to be a way to end the conflict against Thanos, this was the way to do so.

Avengers: Endgame
PG-13
Adventure
Action
Sci-Fi
Superhero
Where to Watch
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Not available

*Availability in US
Release Date
April 26, 2019
Director
Anthony Russo , Joe Russo
Cast
Robert Downey Jr. , Chris Evans , Mark Ruffalo , Chris Hemsworth , Scarlett Johansson , Jeremy Renner , Josh Brolin , Don Cheadle , Paul Rudd , Benedict Cumberbatch , Chadwick Boseman , Brie Larson , Tom Holland , Karen Gillan , Zoe Saldana , Evangeline Lilly , Tessa Thompson , Rene Russo , Elizabeth Olsen , Anthony Mackie , Sebastian Stan , Tom Hiddleston , Danai Gurira , Benedict Wong , Pom Klementieff , Dave Bautista , Letitia Wright , John Slattery , Tilda Swinton , Jon Favreau , Hayley Atwell , Natalie Portman , Marisa Tomei , Taika Waititi
Runtime
181 Minutes
Writers
Keith Giffen , Stan Lee , Larry Lieber , Don Heck , Jim Starlin , Joe Simon , Steve Englehart , Jack Kirby , Steve Gan , Bill Mantlo , Stephen McFeely , Christopher Markus
Expand
1
"I am Iron Man."
'Iron Man' (2008)
Tony Stark giving a conference in Iron Man.Image via Marvel Studios
The line that truly started it all. From 2008 forward, "I am Iron Man" would ring through the ears of Marvel fans. No line in the cinematic universe is more iconic or effortlessly memorable than Iron Man's last dialog in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This line is not only a great way to end the first film but was also incredibly groundbreaking at the time, confidently delivered by Downey Jr.

Stark and the suit became one, both physically and publicly, blurring the line between Tony and Iron Man for better and worse.

Until Iron Man was released, superhero cinema was a very different landscape. Pretty much every single major superhero in film at the time had a secret identity. However, Tony Stark jumped onto the scene and revealed his identity to everyone in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, becoming a public hero and pretty much revolutionizing the way audiences saw superheroes and their roles in society. Stark and the suit became one, both physically and publicly, blurring the line between Tony and Iron Man for better and worse. It was a huge moment in a superhero film and remains the most rewatchable scene in Iron Man's MCU journey.
In every Marvel Cinematic Universe movie he appears in, Tony Stark debuts one or several new suits that he created in the gap between installments. One of the best parts of those movies is when the audience gets to see his newest design assemble over him for the first time.

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While all of those scenes are cool for different reasons, some are much better executed and much more memorable than others. As the suits continued to evolve and improve over time, so did the suit-ups scenes.

The Cave Suit-Up
Yinsen helps Tony with his suit in Iron Man
The first version of the Iron Man armor was built out of the remains of Tony's Jericho rocket after Tony was captured by the Ten Rings and kept in a cave in Iron Man along with Dr. Ho Yinsen.

Since the armor is the original design and was made for functionality rather than style, it is much clunkier than the other versions. Also, since Tony didn't have access to a lab with better materials, he and Yinsen had to put the suit on manually piece-by-piece which only made the scene more iconic.

The Mark
Robert Downey Jr. Tony Stark Iron Man Mark 3 Suit Up
The main suit-up scene of Iron Man comes right before Tony goes to Afghanistan after learning that more Stark weapons had been delivered to the Ten Rings.

Unlike the previous suit up scenes before it, this was the first time fans saw the process of the suit being placed on him fully automated, thanks to the rig Tony had built in his basement. It would also be the debut of the Mark III, the first combat-ready suit and the first to feature the character's classic red and gold colors.

Jingle Bells
Iron Man 3 Mark XLII Suit in a superhero pose

At the start of Iron Man 3, fans saw Tony test out the Mark 42 while listening to "Jingle Bells". Thanks to the microchips he implanted in his arm, Tony can remotely call the pieces to him rather than needing a large rig to place the suit on him as he had in earlier movies. After he starts feeling confident in his ability to catch the individual pieces with his body, he instructs Jarvis to send all the components.

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As the pace picks up, struggles to keep up with the rapidly flying pieces before finding his stride, even flipping and catching the faceplate of the suit before landing in an iconic superhero pose before a stray piece flies and him and knocks him off his feet and send the pieces of his body flying.

Battle of Greenwich Village
Endgame Iron Man Mark L Suit Up
The Mark L suit was first shown to us in Avengers: Infinity War when Tony, Doctor Strange, Wong, and Bruce Banner are confronted by Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian as they arrive on Earth in search of the time stone. It is one of the most advanced suits he's created due to it being made up of nanotechnology which allows all the components to be held on his person.

Unlike the previous version of the suit, rather than assembling in pieces, it crawls onto his body from the arc reactor in his chest almost like liquid. While the simplicity of it almost takes away from the process, the fact that it is now so simple perfectly shows the evolution of Tony's tech.

The Briefcase Suit-Up
Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man Mark V Suit
In Iron Man 2, while Tony was participating in the Monaco Grand Prix after replacing the driver representing his company, the villain Whiplash appeared on the track and began slicing cars with his electricity-charged whips to draw Tony out. While Tony tries to avoid attacks from Whiplash, Happy drives himself and Pepper onto the track to save him, managing to pin Whiplash with his car.

Although Pepper and Happy insist that he get in the car, Tony instead tells Pepper to throw him the briefcase. Tony then opens the case, revealing that it's actually the Mark V armor, puts the suit on over his racing uniform, and proceeds to fight Whiplash. While it's hard to accept that Whiplash would wait for Tony to suit-up before getting free, the epic moment was worth the suspension of disbelief.

Stark Tower Freefall
Iron Man Mark 7 Suit Avengers Tower
In The Avengers, during the battle of New York, Tony goes to Stark tower to confront Loki. After the two exchange words and Loki's failed attempt to control Tony's mind thanks to the arc reactor in his chest, Loki angrily throws Stark through the Tower window to plummet to his death.

Fortunately, while he was inside, Tony put on the tracking bracelets and summoned the Mark VII which chased after him as he fell, armoring him and allowing him to fly off before he hit the ground.

The Mandarin Attack
Pepper Potts Iron Man 3 Mark 45
After foolishly telling the Mandarin the location of his home address, Tony's mansion in Malibu is attacked by the Mandarin's men. The scene features two cool suit-ups, the first being when Tony calls the armor and has it placed on Pepper to protect her after the initial missile is fired at the building and the two are sent flying backward.

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The second suit-up comes when Tony strips the armor away from Pepper places it on himself while crawling along the floor and trying to avoid gunfire from the helicopter before falling into the water below after managing to take out some of the helicopters.

The Iron Legion Protocol
Legion of Suits in Iron Man 3
In the final act of Iron Man 3, Tony realizes that he and Rhodey aren't going to be enough to take down Killian and the group of Extremis soldiers so he has Jarvis activate something called the "House Party Protocol" which sends all of his Iron Man suits to his current location.

Rather than picking one suit and sticking with it for the rest of the fight, audiences see Stark constantly switch between them, alternating when one is damaged or destroyed. In the sequence, fans saw tony jump between the Mark XXXIII, Mark XVI, Mark XV, and the Mark XL suits nicknamed "Silver Centurion", "Nightclub", "Sneaky", and "Shotgun" respectively, each one with different special abilities.

The Hulkbuster
Hulkbuster Avengers Age Ultron Iron Man
In Avengers: Age of Ultron, after Bruce has his mind messed with by Wanda Maximoff and begins rampaging through Johannesburg, South Africa, Tony asks his AI to send him the Hulkbuster armor which was created by him and Banner to help take down the Hulk if necessary.

The suit then descended from an orbiting satellite nicknamed "Veronica" and starts assembling piece by piece over his Mark XLIII, turning it from a standard-sized suit to one standing at 11 feet high.

The Countdown
Tony sits on a couch with the Iron Man suit in Iron Man 3
After learning the truth about the Mandarin and being captured by Killian, Stark attempts to call his armor to rescue him and begins counting down from 5 attempting to estimate the number of seconds before the pieces of his suit would arrive.

However, due to them being locked in a shed all the way in Tennessee, he constantly had to restart the countdown while insisting to the henchmen monitoring him that he would get free. Eventually, Harley Keener finally opened the doors, allowing the suit to escape just as Stark was in the middle of his 4th countdown, allowing him to obtain a gun and get the upper hand.

The Helicopter Suit-Up
Civil War Iron Man Mark 46 Button
In Captain America: Civil War, after realizing he was wrong and learning that Zemo was the real threat, Tony decides to join Captain America and Bucky Barnes in Siberia after discovering that's where they were going from Sam.

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While leaving the RAFT prison in his helicopter, he presses a button that reclines his chair, places the Mark XLVI suit on him, and ejects him out of the aircraft so that he can fly on his own.

Stark Tower
Avengers Endgame Iron Man Mark LXXXV
In Avengers: Endgame, after time-traveling back in time to the Battle of New York, Tony sneaks into Stark tower through the same broken window Loki tossed him out of the first Avengers to spy on his past self and locate the two infinity stones. Tony then throws back himself out of the window and as he starts to fall, he dons his nanotech suit.

The scene is a direct parallel of the moment for the first movie, however, Stark's technology reacts much more quickly and he's able to save himself much quicker than he did before due to the improvements he made over the past 11 years.

Barn Door Protocol
Iron Man Barn Door Protocol Mark LXXXV
The most recent and likely final Iron Man suit-up scene comes at the start of the third act of Avengers: Endgame when Tony initiates the "Barn Door Protocol" before Hulk preforms the snap that would bring back the half of the population wiped out by Thanos in the last movie.

The Mark LXXXV armor crawls over Tony's body as he puts up the suit's energy shield to protect him and Clint Barton from the radioactive energy from the infinity stones.

The Test Flight
Iron Man Mark 2 Silver armor

Upon returning from the desert, Tony began created the Mark II, a sleeker chrome version of the one he built in the cave, to test and perfect the design and functionality.

Audiences only got to see bits and pieces of the suit being placed on Tony before the test flight that would lead to him discovering the icing problem that would help him in the final battle.
Iron Man's armor
Marvel Cinematic Universe element

The Mark III armor as featured in Iron Man (2008)
First appearance
Iron Man
(2008)
Based on
Iron Man's armor
by Don Heck
Jack Kirby
Adapted by
Mark Fergus
Hawk Ostby
Art Marcum
Matt Holloway
In-universe information
Owners
Tony Stark
James Rhodes (War Machine armor)
Peter Parker (Iron Spider armor)
Bruce Banner (Hulkbuster armor)
Pepper Potts (Rescue armor)
Tony Stark has worn different versions of the Iron Man armor throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). He has also built armor for James Rhodes (which became the War Machine armor), the Iron Spider suit for Peter Parker, and Pepper Potts' Rescue armor.

In Iron Man (2008), physical armor was built by Stan Winston Studios, with the digital version and other visual effects done by Industrial Light & Magic. Further appearances of the armor in the MCU were mainly created through visual effects. Iron Man comic book artist Adi Granov designed the Mark III, with further armors also being inspired by the armors from the comics.

Design and creation

The Hall of Armor display at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con, featuring the Marks I-VII (back) and Mark XLII (front)
Iron Man (2008) director Jon Favreau wanted the film to be believable by showing the eventual construction of the Mark III suit in its three stages.[1] Stan Winston and his company were hired to build metal and rubber versions of the armors. The Mark I design was intended to look like it was built from spare parts: particularly, the back is less armored than the front, as Tony Stark would use his resources to make a forward attack. It also foreshadows the design of Obadiah Stane's Iron Monger armor. A single 90-pound (41 kg) version was built and was designed to only have its top half worn at times. Stan Winston Studios built a 10-foot (3.0 m), 800-pound (360 kg) animatronic version of the Iron Monger suit. The animatronic required five operators for the arm, and was built on a gimbal to simulate walking.[2] A scale model was used for the shots of it being made. The Mark II resembles an airplane prototype with visible flaps.[3]

Iron Man comic book artist Adi Granov designed the Mark III with illustrator Phil Saunders.[4] Granov's designs were the primary inspiration for the film's, and he came on board the film after he recognized his work on Jon Favreau's MySpace page.[5] Saunders streamlined Granov's concept art, making it stealthier and less cartoonish in its proportions,[2] and also designed the War Machine armor, but it was "cut from the script about halfway through pre-production." He explained that the War Machine armor "was going to be called the Mark IV armor and would have had weaponized swap-out parts that would be worn over the original Mark III armor," and that it "would have been worn by Tony Stark in the final battle sequence."[6] Concerned with the transition between the computer-generated and practical costumes, Favreau hired Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) to create the bulk of the visual effects for the film after seeing Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) and Transformers (2007).[7] The Orphanage and The Embassy did additional work. To help with animating the more refined suits, information was sometimes captured by having Downey wear only the helmet, sleeves and chest of the costume over a motion capture suit.[2]

For Iron Man 2 (2010), ILM again did the majority of the effects, as it did on the first film.[8] ILM's visual effects supervisor on the film, Ben Snow, said their work on the film was "harder" than their work on the first, stating that Favreau asked more of them this time around. Snow described the process of digitally creating the suits:

On the first Iron Man, we tried to use the Legacy [Studios, Stan Winston's effects company] and Stan Winston suits as much as we could. For the second one, Jon [Favreau] was confident we could create the CG suits, and the action dictated using them. So, Legacy created what we called the "football suits" from the torso up with a chest plate and helmet. We'd usually put in some arm pieces, but not the whole arm. In the house fight sequence, where Robert Downey Jr. staggers around tipsy, we used some of the practical suit and extended it digitally. Same thing in the Randy's Donuts scene. But in the rest of the film, we used the CG suit entirely. And Double Negative did an all-digital suit for the Monaco chase.[8]

Because of how form-fitting the Mark V suitcase suit was required to be, the production team researched some of the classic comics armors, since they were seen as essentially variations on muscle suits. One specific aspect of an earlier armor was the color scheme from the Silver Centurion armor. The Mark VI armor was designed by Granov and Saunders to be sleeker than the Mark III, while retaining many of the Mark III's qualities.[9]

For The Avengers (2012), Saunders stated that "director Joss Whedon was looking for something that had the 'cool' factor of the suitcase suit" from Iron Man 2, but would be tough enough to survive the alien army from the film's climax.[10] Saunders reworked concepts from the first two films into the Mark VII, a design with "big ammo packets on the arms and a backpack".[10] The chest piece, which had been triangular in the Mark VI, was changed back to the classic circular shape of the Mark III.[10] Weta Digital also took over duties for animating Iron Man during the forest duel from ILM. Guy Williams, Weta's visual effects supervisor, said, "We shared assets back and forth with ILM, but our pipelines are unique and it's hard for other assets to plug into it. But in this case, we got their models and we had to redo the texture spaces because the way we texture maps is different."[11] Williams said the most difficult part was re-creating Iron Man's reflective metal surfaces.[12]

For Iron Man 3 (2013), Chris Townsend served as visual effects supervisor. The film featured over 2,000 visual effects shots and was worked on by 17 studios: Weta Digital, Digital Domain, Scanline VFX, Trixter, Framestore, Luma Pictures, Fuel VFX, Cantina Creative, Cinesite, The Embassy Visual Effects, Lola, Capital T, Prologue, and Rise FX. Digital Domain, Scanline VFX, and Trixter each worked on separate shots featuring the Mark XLII armor, working with different digital models. The studios shared some of their files to ensure consistency between the shots. For the Mark XLII and Iron Patriot armors, Legacy Effects constructed partial suits that were worn on set. Townsend explained that "Invariably we'd shoot a soft-suit with Robert [Downey Jr.] then we'd also put tracking markers on his trousers. He would also wear lifts in his shoes or be up in a box so he'd be the correct height – Iron Man is 6'5".[13]

The art department at Marvel worked closely with a team from Digital Domain, which created realistically-proportioned 3D versions of suits, including textures and lighting, from Marvel's 2D concept art. Those models were then used by Marvel and Weta Digital.[14] The heads-up display features of the helmet were inspired by visualization techniques from MRI diagnostic pattern recognition and graph theory, particularly by the connectogram, a circular graph that maps all of the white-matter connections of the human brain.[15]

Concept art released in March 2014 for Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), revealed the inclusion of a "Hulkbuster"–like armor.[16] Iron Man's armor in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), the Mark XLVII, is a recolored version of the Mark XLVI armor introduced in Captain America: Civil War (2016); this was done because Sony Pictures did not have the budget to create a new Iron Man suit. Feige requested the color scheme resemble the Ultimate Iron Man armor from the comics.[17] For Avengers: Infinity War (2018), visual effects vendor Framestore created Iron Man's Mark 50 suit, based on the Bleeding Edge armor from the comics, which is made up of singular nanobots which move around his body to form a suit, and was developed alongside Marvel for about two years.[18]

List of armors
Main armor
Name Introduced Notes
Mark I Iron Man Created by Tony Stark and Ho Yinsen, the suit left the back and knees vulnerable. It had flamethrowers and a missile launcher, and was capable of one short burst of flight before it crashed.[19] The armor was destroyed during Stark's escape in Afghanistan; he later rebuilt it which was destroyed again in the attack on Stark's house in Iron Man 3.
Mark II This armor improves flight capabilities, adds a heads-up-display and repulsors, and has a built in arc reactor. However, the suit experiences icing problems when flown at too high an altitude. The suit needs a special construction/removal apparatus to get in and out of the armor.[19] This armor is destroyed during the attack on Stark's house in Iron Man 3.
Mark III The Mark III fixes the freezing problem by changing the suit to a gold-titanium alloy. It also adds wrist-mounted missiles, hip-mounted flare launchers and shoulder-mounted machine guns. This is the first armor to feature the classic red and gold color scheme.[19] This armor is destroyed during the attack on Stark's house in Iron Man 3.
Mark IV Iron Man 2 Not much is known about the Mark IV as it is briefly seen when Stark enters the Stark Expo 2010. However, it does have a manually removable helmet.[19] This armor is destroyed during the attack on Stark's house in Iron Man 3.
Mark V The Mark V is a travel, portable suit, also known as the "suitcase suit",[10] that assembles around Stark's body. Not much else is known about the armor, such as if it has flight capabilities.[19] The armor takes on a red and silver color scheme, similar to the Silver Centurion armor from the comics.[9] This armor is destroyed during the attack on Stark's house in Iron Man 3.
Mark VI This armor changes the arc reactor hole to a triangular shape instead of the traditional circular one. The armor also upgrades its artillery to include a grenade launcher in one arm, a missile launcher in a shoulder and metal-slicing super lasers in both arms (though this can only be used once). The color scheme is once again the classic red and gold.[19] Stark uses this armor for much of The Avengers before switching to the Mark VII after the Mark VI suffers damage. This armor is destroyed during the attack on Stark's house in Iron Man 3.
Mark VII The Avengers The suit is able to assemble around Stark via a sensor bracelet worn by him, and brings back the circular arc reactor hole.[19] The suit is not designed for deep space travel. The armor reappears briefly in Iron Man 3 before being destroyed during the attack on Stark's house.
Mark XLII Iron Man 3 This suit is able to be summoned remotely by controlling each individual piece of the armor, through state-of-the-art chips in Stark's body, and features an inverse color scheme to the other main armors, with gold as the predominant color.[20][21] Stark is able to operate the suit externally from a remote location. This armor is destroyed at the end of Iron Man 3, but it is rebuilt by the events of Spider-Man: Homecoming where it can be seen briefly.
Mark XLIII Avengers: Age of Ultron This suit is identical to the Mark XLII, but with an inverse red/gold color scheme.[22] The Mark XLIII has an unmanned sentry mode that allows Stark to exit the suit and remain protected. It can also be augmented with the Mark XLIV "Veronica" modular add-on in order to take on the Hulk.
Mark XLV Featuring a predominantly red color scheme and a hexagonal-shaped arc reactor, Stark wears this suit during the Avengers' final confrontation with Ultron in Sokovia.[23] Due to J.A.R.V.I.S. being uploaded to give birth to Vision, this suit was the first one to feature F.R.I.D.A.Y. as Stark's A.I. interface.[24]
Mark XLVI Captain America: Civil War Visually similar to the Mark XLV with a pentagon-shaped arc reactor.[25] The helmet is retractable and able to fold into the back of the suit. The suit uses hybrid nanotechnology, and is an homage to the character's Bleeding Edge armor from the comics.[26]
Mark XLVII Spider-Man: Homecoming A predominately silver color scheme with the head, chest and extremities also featuring gold and red. The armor is visually similar to the one worn by Ultimate Iron Man in the comics.[27] The armor is a repainted version of the Mark XLVI.[17] Like the Mark XLII, the armor can be controlled remotely by Stark.
Mark L Avengers: Infinity War Known as the Bleeding Edge armor, it has rocket thrusters that allows Stark to travel in deep space. The suit has the ability to form around Stark out of his arc reactor using nanotechnology, which can regenerate itself if it sustains damage.[28][18] Visually, this armor is based on the Model Prime armor from the comics.[29] The mark number has been stylized as both decimal (50) and Roman numeral (L).[18][30] The helmet is briefly seen in Avengers: Endgame when Stark uses it to record a goodbye message while trapped in outer space.
Mark LXXXV Avengers: Endgame This armor has a similar look to the Mark L, with gold upper sleeves, shoulder guards, and a slightly bulkier design.[31] It retains the nanotechnology from the Mark L and has the ability to form an Infinity Gauntlet.[30]
Sakaarian Armor (alternate timeline) What If...? season 1 "What If... the Watcher Broke His Oath?"
What If...? season 2 "What If... Iron Man Crashed Into the Grandmaster?" In an alternate 2012 universe where Stark crash-landed on Sakaar following the Chitauri invasion, Stark built this new armor after Mark VII was too damaged to operate. The suit can transform into a race car, which Stark drives to win a race with the Grandmaster.
Iron Legion
These armors were created before the beginning of Iron Man 3 by Stark, where they were introduced, to help in different types of situations he might encounter. They are first referred to as the "Iron Legion" in Iron Man 3 Prelude #2 (April 2013).[32] The first Iron Legion is a set of specialized armors built for various situations that he might encounter such. Built due to his insomnia, he eventually destroys them due to the friction they cause between him and Pepper Potts. They appeared in Iron Man 3 and consisted of armors Mark VIII through Mark XLI.[33][20] The second Iron Legion is a set of drones built by Tony Stark in order to aid the Avengers. However, after the creation of the AI Ultron, it builds itself a body from a destroyed drone, and takes control of the rest.

Hulkbuster armor

Promotional image of the Mark XLIV
Name Introduced Notes
Mark XLIV Avengers: Age of Ultron A modular add-on known as the Hulkbuster armor, it was developed by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, after they studied the Hulk's physical actions and strength levels in an effort to find a way to contain him and minimize the damage caused by his rages.[34][16][35][36] Its codename is "Veronica", in a reference to Archie Comics. Banner is involved with Betty Ross, so Age of Ultron director Joss Whedon went for the two women that dispute Archie Andrews' affection - "the opposite of Betty is Veronica".[37]
Mark XLVIII Avengers: Infinity War An update to the Mark XLIV modular add-on, and known as Hulkbuster 2.0, it features a sleeker, less blocky design, with additions of silver in its color scheme.[38] Unlike the original Hulkbuster, it can apparently be used on its own without being "worn" over another armor, with Banner using the Hulkbuster during the battle for Wakanda against Thanos's forces when he finds himself unable to transform into the Hulk. Banner also briefly uses it at the beginning of Avengers: Endgame.
Related armors
War Machine armor

Promotional image of the War Machine Mark I
Name Introduced Notes
War Machine Mark I Iron Man 2 Originally the Iron Man Mark II armor, this suit is confiscated by James Rhodes on behalf of the US Government and enhanced by Justin Hammer, who adds machine guns in the wrists, a minigun on the right shoulder and a grenade launcher on the left. The armor still retains repulsors in the chest and hands.[19] In Iron Man 3 Prelude, Stark reclaims the Mark II armor from Rhodes and removes all the modifications done to it by Hammer.[39]
War Machine Mark II / Iron Patriot Iron Man 3 The second War Machine armor, given to Rhodes by Stark, has a rectangular-shaped chestplate protecting the arc reactor assembly.[39] In Iron Man 3, Rhodes was asked by the president to take on the moniker, "Iron Patriot", and add a red, white, and blue color scheme to be used as the government's "American hero" symbol in response to the events in The Avengers.[40] The armor reverts to the grey and silver color scheme in Avengers: Age of Ultron.[41]
War Machine Mark III Captain America: Civil War The armor worn in Civil War appears similar to the others seen. It is damaged through friendly fire when Rhodes is struck by a Mind Stone beam fired by Vision, which disables the suit's flight capacity, and Rhodes falls to the ground, paralyzing him from the waist down on impact.[42]
War Machine Mark IV Avengers: Infinity War This version of the armor includes an "exo-skeleton" worn on his legs and lower back when Rhodes is not wearing the full armor, allowing him to walk despite the spinal injuries sustained in Civil War.[43]
War Machine Mark V Avengers: Endgame Known as the Cosmic Iron Patriot armor, it has a red, white, and blue color scheme similar to the Iron Patriot armor.[44][45] It is bulkier than past War Machine armors,[46] and was built with alien technology.[44] The armor has two shoulder guns, turrets, and rocket launchers, with additional weaponry on the forearms.[46]
War Machine Mark VI The armor worn in Endgame appears similar to the others seen. Rhodes wore that armor during the Time Heist. The armor was damaged during Thanos' bombardment.[45]
Non-Iron Man armors
Name Introduced Notes
Iron Monger Iron Man Suit created by Obadiah Stane, based on the designs Stark used to create the Mark I armor.
Whiplash Armor Mark II Iron Man 2 Created by Ivan Vanko AKA Whiplash as part of his second attempt to kill Tony Stark as revenge for Tony's father, Howard, discrediting his father Anton. Based on Stark's Mark II armor.
Iron Spider Spider-Man: Homecoming A nanotech armor given to Peter Parker. This armor has enhanced web shooters, a parachute, life support systems, and four robotic spider legs coming out of the back.
Mark XLIX/Rescue Avengers: Endgame A blue and gold armor designed by Stark for Potts.[47]
Hydra Stomper What If...? Introduced in the first episode, the Hydra Stomper is an armor made by Howard Stark and is piloted by a non-superpowered Steve Rogers in World War II. It shares a similar design with the Iron Man Mark I but has an energy repulser. The entire armor is powered by the Tesseract.
Ironheart Mark I Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Made by Riri Williams, who was inspired by Tony Stark, in her garage, Mark I is much bulkier than Stark's later suits, while having no helmet and leaving many exposed areas, such as the knees and waist. The suit's right hand has a repulser and is three-fingered. The suit also has flight capability and an arc reactor on its chest, though it is more akin to a heart.
Ironheart Mark II Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Using Wakandan technology, Riri Williams creates a suit of powered armor to defend Wakanda in honor Queen Ramonda sacrificing her life to save Williams. Mark II covers the user's entire body, and is much more similar to Stark's armor than Mark I. The suit has energy rifles, repulsors, a similar creation to Shuri's panther gauntlets. Mark II also has a heads-up display and is able to travel underwater.
Avengers Campus
Avengers Campus has an exclusive Iron Man armor for Disney Parks, known as the Mark 80.[48][49]

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External links
Iron Man's armor on Marvel Database, a Marvel Comics wiki
A Guide on Every Armor Worn by Iron Man in the MCU on Marvel.com
Iron Man's Armor Evolution video, from Disney+
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Categories: Fictional armourIron Man (film series)Iron Man in other mediaMarvel Cinematic Universe featuresMarvel Comics weaponsFiction about nanotechnologyFiction about dronesFictional elements introduced in 2008