Keeping The Demon In The Bottle: Why Iron Man 3 Isn’t About Stark’s Drinking

Remember how the very first time we saw Tony Stark in Iron Man, he was holding a glass of scotch? And how he brought a portable bar to the weapons test? And how, in Iron Man 2, Tony got drunk, pissed in his own suit in front of God and everybody, and then blew up his own party? And remember how, as a comic book fan (which I presume you are if you came across this Web site), you were excited about all this groundwork being laid to seemingly eventually bring us a movie adaptation of the classic David Michelinie and Bob Layton arc from Iron Man, Demon In A Bottle, from back in 1979?

And do you remember how empowering it was to think that finally the general public would see a superhero that spoke to you – a stumbling, reckless drunk who is able to overcome being unable to perform basic motor tasks while packing a powerful repulsor… and by “repulsor,” I, of course, mean “personal odor”? You remember that feeling? Just me? Hello, is this thing on?

Anyway, whether you were hoping for a reproduction of a classic comic book storyline, or for a kids’ adventure movie that might lead to children pointing at you as you leave a bar and screech, “Iron Man!” rather than “Stranger Danger!”, you ain’t getting it in Iron Man 3, Apparently the corporate overlords at Disney were somewhat uncomfortable with the idea of a superhero movie where the most demanded tie-in action figure was the variant with “Action Vomit!”

In an interview with Comic Book Movie, Iron Man 3 director Shane Black and writer Drew Pearce said that the studio had a little trouble with the idea of making Iron Man’s archnemesis a bottle of Stoli:

Shane: I think we were just told by the studio that we should probably paint Tony Stark as being kind of an industrialist and a crazy guy, or even a bad guy at some points, but the Demon in a Bottle stuff of him being an alcoholic wouldn’t really fly. I don’t blame that.

Drew: It’s also kind of a ‘pick your battles’ thing; alcoholism is a massive problem but it’s also not the best villain for a movie.

Shane: If you’re gonna do alcoholism and the Mandarin, then you would really have to make the whole movie about it-

Drew: Otherwise you’ll be giving it the short drift.

Shane: But I wouldn’t be surprised if at some point someone wanted to make a movie and they’d run out of directions for the character, then they’ve still got Demon in a Bottle.

If you go check out the whole thing, you’ll see that a concern that was raised was that “mommy bloggers” have gotten up in arms that Tony Stark likes to enjoy a nice cocktail or nine before going to bed – someone’s if not his. Because God knows we would not want our children, our precious little snowflakes, to think that if they aspire to become billionaire entrepreneurs and household names, that they must also enjoy a fine single malt scotch at the end of a long day saving the world. Particularly when that “glorification” of binge drinking include the depiction of a man shivering with the DTs, so fully brought low that he must relinquish his superhero identity to another until he stops feeling bugs crawling beneath his skin.

Look, I recognize that not everyone in the world would find an epic tale about a man twitching with the whiskey shakes to be a summer lark the way I would, but then again, I’m the only person I know who went out drinking after seeing Leaving Las Vegas. But to withhold one of the earliest adult-focused comic book stories – a story about a character who we’ve already seen in three movies learning how to overcome his selfishness to become and actual hero, for whom an alcohol story would be a final, satisfying capper – because some helicopter parents think that seeing a guy drink himself into the shakes is glamourous?

Well hell. God knows I don’t begrudge Disney its urge to make the maximum profit on Marvel’s properties. But to deny comic fans one of the most groundbreaking stories ever written because they’re afraid of controversy? Hell, just make the damn movie! If you’re worried people don’t like it, just bury it in the vaults with, say, Song of The South!

(via Comic Book Movie)