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Why we're thrilled about Iron Man 2
We are two Fridays away from the return of Marvel Comic's most brash superhero: the flashy, flamboyant, flirtatious and ferociously cool Iron Man.
Here's a look at what makes Tony Stark, his metallic alter-ego, and director Jon Favreau's sequel, Iron Man 2, the most hotly anticipated blockbuster of 2010.
The man behind the iron:
Tony Stark is a deeply flawed character, a womanising boozehound given to bluster as much as he is to brilliance.
The billionaire scientist built the suit, and at the end of the first film, took his mask off, secret identity be damned.
This new film sees Iron Man dealing with bigger foes, like Whiplash and Justin Hammer, as well as veering dangerously closer to severe alcoholism.
The actor:
Robert Downey Jr might have been down and out after drugs and scandals a few years ago, but the last few years have seen him rise to tremendous success, what with the massive first Iron Man film, a very laudable Oscar-nomination for his crackerjack performance in Tropic Thunder, and much more box office moolah for his January release, Sherlock Holmes.
The actor is riding the wave, and Iron Man 2 will only make the surf rise higher.
The baddies
A comic book movie is only as good as its bad guy is allowed to be, and this time director Jon Favreau pulls out all the stops with Whiplash, played by Mickey Rourke.
The Wrestler actor is in top form, and here he plays a renegade scientist out for revenge on the Stark family, building a modified version of the Iron Man suit for himself, along with hyperkinetic electric whips that can cut through cars and buildings.
And if that wasn't bad enough, Sam Rockwell stars as Justin Hammer, the bad guy who funds Whiplash to create an army of anti-Iron Men.
The babes
What's going to be really hard for Tony Stark to swallow in the new film is that his girlfriend Pepper Potts, played perfectly by the pert Gwyneth Paltrow, might move on from him and start seeing someone.
What might not, at least, seem that hard is the appearance of Scarlett Johannson as Natalia Romanova, the Black Widow.
The delicious Emily Blunt might not have been able to star as was originally planned, but Scarlett fills out the badgirl bodysuit pretty damned well.
The backup
Don Cheadle steps into Terrence Howard's shoes to play James Rhodes, who becomes Stark's most visible ally as he dons a truly bad-ass suit himself to turn into War Machine.
The potential of the two metallic warriors taking on an army of bad ones is a mouthwatering one the trailer only hints at.
Also, watch out for Samuel L Jackson reprising his role as Nick Fury, the man who will eventually take Tony Stark closer to the Avengers project. Wow.
Iron Man 2 releases May 7. And its going to be big. Buckle up.