Iron Man 3 will film on location in China, according to a new press release distributed by Marvel earlier today.
In an announcement that will be sure to trigger rumours surrounding the potential involvement of the Mandarin, the studio announced that the film will be co-produced with the Walt Disney Company China, with filming set to take place there later this summer.
“ Iron Man 3 continues the story with a new chapter that will deliver more heart-pounding action than ever before,” says the promotional bumpf. “Marvel Studios’ Iron Man 3 will find Tony Stark with his back against the wall, facing his most fearsome foes yet.”
Yes, that’s foes plural. When Ben Kingsley was recently announced as being attached to the villain role , we were lead to believe that he would be playing a nanotechnology wizard, as opposed to the celebrated comic-book villain, The Mandarin.
Now that the film will apparently feature a Chinese subplot, it would appear that The Mandarin could be back on the agenda. Born into a wealthy Chinese family, the character is a descendant of Genghis Khan, a technology enthusiast and a sworn rival of Tony Stark…
Directed by Shane Black, Iron Man 3 will open in the UK on 3 May 2013.