I don't like Kingsley as The Mandarin

[Borjigin]

Kingsley is a poor choice to me. The thing about the Mandarin/Stark dynamic is that it is fundamentally about an ubermensche beating up on a smart cripple, and the smart cripple always finding a way to win. It's a pro-intellectual dynamic at the end of the day.

By changing The Mandarin into a shriveled little old man with a big nose, they reverse the dynamic, making it about muscle beating up an evil scientist. It becomes anti-intellectual.

[IMJ]

The whole thing sounds incredibly flawed to me too. For example, all of the concerns about the Chineese being depicted poorly? What? Isn't that like saying that since Stane was evil, then all American businessmen are evil? It's ridiculous.

I haven't totally lost hope, but the preliminary information about this one seems somewhat worrisome.

[Tetragrammaton]

Has it been confirmed that Kingsley is the Mandarin?

[Iron Mark]

It could be akin to Liam Neeson and Ken Watanabe in Batman Begins. Ben Kingsley is a decoy and Andy Lau is the real Mandarin? Doubtful but one can hope.

[Iron Centurion]

I like Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin.

Even if the Chinese never joined the film's production, the Fu Manchu version of the Mandarin from the Iron Man comics was never going to be approved by PC Hollywood.  We'll certainly see him as the wealthy businessman version from John Byrne's and the Knauf's tenures respectively.

[Borjigin]

Except Ben Kingsley is MUCH MORE FU MANCHU like than the comic Mandarin. Comic Mandarin is a powerfully built athlete, the polar opposite of the emasculated Fu Manchu image.

Kingsely is a shriveled little nerd with all the masculinity of...well of the old stereotype of Asians.

[JDD01]

Isn't the Mandarin I dunno, half chinese and half british mix so it could be possible that a white guy would have a asian mother or father. So it makes sense and it also prevents problems from the chinese government censoring the film like the Dark Knight. Hope they do the Knaufs' version of the Mandarin at least to help improve the realsim factor.

[IronManKyle]

IM3 is sounding a little shaky to me as well, but Im holding offf any big judgement until we see some photos from the flim as well as a teaser at least, which would be a nice addition to the Avengers dvd-blu ray in my opinion. As far as Kingsley as a possible Mandarin, I liked his villainous look and ways in the Prince Of Persia movie and could be a 'Slight' glimpse as to how he'd look as the Mandarin. (Plus its actualy a good movie based on a video game for those who haven't seen it, it's worth a watch)

[IMJ]

Even if the Chinese never joined the film's production, the Fu Manchu version of the Mandarin from the Iron Man comics was never going to be approved by PC Hollywood.  We'll certainly see him as the wealthy businessman version from John Byrne's and the Knauf's tenures respectively.

I don't think anyone here was ever really making a case for the Fu-Manchu version as you've coined it.  That version was terribly shallow and widely inadequate to actually take on Iron Man. But that's what makes a lot of this worrisome. Why were we bowing to the Chinese government to make this film when there were so many other ways to do it and still remain true to the characters?

[Iron Centurion]

I don't think anyone here was ever really making a case for the Fu-Manchu version as you've coined it.  That version was terribly shallow and widely inadequate to actually take on Iron Man. But that's what makes a lot of this worrisome. Why were we bowing to the Chinese government to make this film when there were so many other ways to do it and still remain true to the characters?

Fu Manchu was the best example I could use to describe the version most Iron Man fans picture when they think of the Mandarin.  Fu Manchu was an Asian criminal genius, and while he's viewed today as a racist characature, was extremely influential in pop culture; every pulp hero or detective had a Fu Manchu clone in their rogues gallery.  Stan Lee has admitted that Fu Manchu was his inspiration for the Mandarin.



That version won't be filmed due to the PC stance of Hollywood.  Also, China has begun investing in Hollywood (including Iron Man 3), and recently bought the AMC Theater chain.  So they will have influence on how their country is portrayed.

[Borjigin]

Fu Manchu was a shriveled, emasculated figure whose actual description was closer to Nosferatu than The Mandarin.

The Mandarin has always been an evil warrior, running around karate-chopping through walls.

[Metal Head]

Ben Kingsley is a phenomenal actor, he won an Oscar for Gandhi, then did the polar opposite years later in a terrific role in Sexy Beast. I like to do "research" to see how actors or directors may handle a movie. For example, in 2006, I watched Zathura to see if Favs could handle Iron Man (YES, before then) and Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang to see how RDJ was faring in movies. Plus, in an off-shoot way, I got to see how Shane Black is handling directing.

heath

[Mandarin]

I think if they remove the ethnicity Kingsley is a fantastic get. The problem is this marvel thing of not naming characters. Mandarin doesn't have a true name and I don't want the movie to give him one. Something I'd think would be interesting would be if Kingsley goes by the Mandarin so people will believe he's Chinese and operates out of china. Which sends Tony to China. If they really want to be a bit political like the first one you could really have Kingsley talk about how everyone perceives  China as a bad guy and a threat and it makes a perfect smokescreen for himself. And at the end you could have him die without anyone ever finding out who he truly is. Which could easily be used as a hook for another marvel film or avengers 2 without feeling forced in.

[Cool Exec]

Laaaaaaaaaiiiiidies and Gentlemen!  It's time for another episode of "DOUBLETHINK"!

Making China look bad would be wrong and offensive.

China censors Iron Man 3 to prevent any criticism of China.

[Jasper Sitwell]

Kingsley is the Mandarin, but not the main villain:
http://latino-review.com/2012/05/30/exclusive-iron-man-3-villain-details/