
If the newly release promo picture for "Iron Man 3" is any indication of what's to come, the horizon looks dark for superhero Tony Stark.
Set for release in May, producers of the third film in the series recently sent out a holiday greeting implying some lonely, troubling times ahead for the playboy-inventor-billionaire. With star Robert Downey Jr. cutting a solitary figure, crossing his arms, and looking pensively upwards at the falling snow, the image looks to reflect the "grittier" new direction of "Iron Man 3" the actor recently spoke of among other new details of the film in an interview with British men's magazine Nuts.
According to Downey Jr., the new "Iron Man" continues to build on the palpable intensity of the first two films.
"I've always said that while I'm physically able, I want to do all my own stunts in the movies that I make. I want the audience to sit there, thinking, 'was he really stupid enough to attempt that?' I actually hurt my ankle in a stunt and filming was shut down for a few days," Downey revealed to Nuts.
"Iron Man 3" will be the first film in the series not helmed by director Jon Favreau. Instead, "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" director Shane Black has taken the wheel, introducing that "darker" tone suggested in the promo picture. Black reportedly views the third installment in the "Iron Man" series as an "international crisis thriller."
"I think Shane's gone for a dark feel in this movie. It's a lot grittier and goes back to its comic-book roots," noted Downey Jr. "It's shaped into a really special movie - and Shane as been instrument in that."
Iconic Oscar-winning actor Sir Ben Kingsley is slated to star as the film's villain, The Madarin, a leader of a terrorist organization known as the Ten Rings. According to Downey Jr., Kingsley's performance will give the audience chills.
"I always think there's something more terrifying about a villain who's a genius, as opposed to just relying on strength or ability. We all know what a fantastic actor Ben Kingsley is, and he pulls off the evil genius with real terrifying results," he said.
"Iron Man 3" hits theaters May 3, 2013.
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