Iron Man

2008

Jon Favreau's film launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, a weapons billionaire who builds an armored suit to escape captivity in Afghanistan and then turns it on the people profiting from his own arsenal. Gwyneth Paltrow plays Pepper Potts, Jeff Bridges is his mentor turned rival Obadiah Stane, and Terrence Howard is Rhodey. Downey's improvised, fast-talking performance revived his career and set the tone for everything Marvel built afterward.