What If…?
Summary
Iron Man ’s corking Marvel Comics adversary made his secondMCUappearance inWhat If … ?season 2 , but the infamous scoundrel never get the chance to battle Robert Downey Jr. ’s Tony Stark . Downey Jr. debuted as Tony Stark back in 2008’sIron Man , Marvel Studios ' first MCU projection . As well as introducing the succeeding armored Avenger , Iron Manalso rag the debut of one of Marvel Comics ' most sinister villains . While Tony Stark went on to combat Obadiah Stane ’s Iron Monger , Justin Hammer and Ivan Vanko , Aldrich Killian , Loki , Ultron and the Mad Titan Thanos , theMCU ’s Iron Mannever got the opportunity to go toe - to - toe with his Marvel Comics archenemy .
Robert Downey Jr. ’s Tony Starkbecame a groundwork of the MCU following his debut inIron Man , acting as one of the central grinder of the franchise , as well as a found phallus of the Avengers and mentor to the unseasoned genesis . Stark also had the speculative luck of make many of his own villains , with the the likes of of Obadiah Stane , Ivan Vanko , Aldrich Killian and Ultron all seeking personal payback on Iron Man . One of his most prominent and long - hold up foes , however , was n’t a mathematical product of his own making , but unfortunately never bilk paths with Tony Stark , though he has since made two appearance in the MCU ’s Multiverse Saga .
One major Iron Man report was never told in the MCU , but Marvel Studios ' Armor Wars flick could research the connection between Stark and the Ten Rings .
Iron Man’s Real Archnemesis Has Appeared Twice In The MCU
The Mandarin was introduced to Marvel Comics in 1964’sTales of Suspense # 50 , only a yr after Tony Stark ’s Iron Man made his own debut . Since then , Iron Man and the Mandarin have come to blow on many occasion , solidify themselves as long - live on archenemies , with the Mandarin using his powerful Ten Rings to attack Stark ’s advance engineering over and over again . Some of these larger-than-life spars will never be seen in the MCU , however , asMarvel Studios ' interpretation of the Mandarin , Tony Leung ’s Xu Wenwu , made his first visual aspect in 2021’sShang - Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings , two year after Iron Man ’s heroic forfeiture inAvengers : Endgame.
WhileShang - Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsended with Xu Wenwu ’s demise - and his handing of the Ten Rings to his son , Simu Liu ’s Shang - Chi - the supervillain made a reappearance in Phase 5.What If … ?season 2 , episode 7 , " What If … Hela Found the Ten Rings ? , " interpret Cate Blanchett ’s Goddess of last meet Xu Wenwu and his followers in the Ten Rings upon her exile to Earth . Together , the pair fought Odin and brought peace back to the Nine Realms , perhaps contradicting Wenwu ’s craving for authority . Despite his continue appearances in the MCU , it seems Xu Wenwu wo n’t get the chance to push his dead on target foe .
Wenwu’s Iron Man Links In The MCU Explained
Even though Xu Wenwu did n’t show up until 2021 , his following have been in the MCU since the get-go . In 2008’sIron Man , the Ten Rings kidnaped Tony Stark in Afghanistan , leading to the creative activity of the first Iron Man causa . Wenwu ’s Mandarin was planned to beIron Man’svillain , but rather , the Mandarin was fluff inIron Man 3 , but revealed to be actor Trevor Slattery . wonder Studios’All Hail the KingOne - Shot andIron Man 3 Preludecomic did discover the true Mandarin , but the villain was never destine to see Iron Man in the MCU . Perhaps next episode ofWhat If … ?can remediate this major missed chance .
