Iron Man 3 has come to a temporary halt in production due to an injury to Star Robert Downey Jr, according to a statement by Marvel Studios. Downey Jr. sustained an ankle injury while doing a stunt for the picture. The injury is considered a minor one and the film will be back in production shortly.
"Robert Downey Jr. sustained an ankle injury on the set of Iron Man 3 in Wilmington, North Carolina while performing a stunt. Marvel Studious issued in the statement. "There will be a short delay in the production schedule while he recuperates."
The highly anticipated second sequel in the Iron Man franchise will feature the villain known as the Mandarin, who will be portrayed by Ben Kingsley.
In the comics, the Mandarin is a superb athlete with tremendous skill in various martial arts styles. He is also a descendant of the warlord Genghis Khan and son to one of the wealthiest men in pre-revolutionary Mainland China.
The Mandarin becomes a conqueror and subjugated the villages to his will, through his use of advanced science. He also uses ten rings of power that he found on an alien dragon's starship.
The film version of the ten rings appears to be less science fiction and instead is grounded in reality. In the film Iron Man 2, a Ten Rings operative is working with Justin Hammer to assist Ivan Vanko in his vendetta against Tony Stark.
Iron Man 3 comes to theaters May 3, 2013 and stars Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley, James Badge Dale, Jon Favreau. Shane Black is in the director's chair for this installment of the film series.
