Disney and Marvel are set to put out a special version of the first Iron Man on home release.
There’s no denying that the original Iron Man movie accomplished so much. It revitalized Robert Downey Jr.’s career, launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and put Marvel Studios on the map, paving the way for their future juggernauts like The Avengers.
It’s sometimes hard to believe, especially for older fans, that the original Iron Man film came out fifteen years ago. But indeed, there are audience members for whom the MCU’s run has encompassed half their life or more.
Iron Man Steelbook on the Way
Via Collider, a new version of 2008’s Iron Man will arrive on Blu-Ray on September 5. This re-release will be encased in collectible steelbook packaging as part of The Walt Disney Company’s 100th Anniversary celebration.
The commemorative box set includes the movie on 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray, plus a digital code to view it online.
The interior of the metal case depicts Tony Stark wearing the iconic Mark III armor as he jets home from Gulmira after stopping the Ten Rings.
This Iron Man steelbook goes up for pre-order on Wednesday, June 13.
Where Would Movies Be Without Iron Man?
Surely, if Iron Man wasn’t a hit back in 2008, the landscape of modern-day cinema would look vastly different.
By functioning as the opener for the now colossal MCU, Iron Man’s success granted visionary producer Kevin Feige and his team at Marvel Studios to pursue more movies based on Marvel’s comic book properties. Despite the Avengers tease in Iron Man’s post-credits stinger, the superhero team-up flick likely wouldn’t have happened at all, had Iron Man flopped.
And if the world never got The Avengers, then other Hollywood studios wouldn’t have doggedly attempted to replicate the MCU’s shared-universe model. And even though those tries at interconnected storytelling have been mostly non-starters (See: Universal’s “Dark Universe”, Sony’s run at The Dark Tower, etc.) the very fact that studio execs are still trying to be the next Marvel Studios is a testament to the MCU’s accomplishments.
While some may assert that the MCU has passed its golden era, the studio’s movies still bring in sizable audiences, and their streaming series are very highly watched. And with Marvel gearing up for two more Avengers films, the Marvel Cinematic Universe shows no signs of stopping.
And to think it all began with Ol’ Shellhead.
Iron Man is available to stream on Disney+. Its special steelbook edition will hit store shelves and online retailers on September 5.
