Remembering the Very First MCU Iron Man Armor Photo We Ever Saw

Over the course of a decade, Tony Stark made use of a number of different designs, updated the technology and capabilities, but it all stems from his breakthrough with the arc reactor and his first Iron Man suit.

Similarly, while Marvel Studios is breaking Internet records with the release of new trailers and set photos from their movies, it all began with birth of the MCU in Iron Man.

One Reddit user found the first photo Marvel Studios released of the first Iron Man suit, showing how far the Marvel Cinematic Universe has come over the last ten years. Take a look below:

The photo offered the first glimpse into the film’s plot at the time, revealing that Marvel Studios intended to tackle Tony Stark’s comic book origin with accuracy and respect to the source material. Seeing that Mark I design in a cave, surrounded by Stark Industries weaponry, prepared fans to expect a different kind of superhero movie.

Iron Man was a rousing success for Marvel Studios at the time, being the first superhero film from the company and a strong opening statement. Though the next film in the budding cinematic universe, The Incredible Hulk, didn’t set the box office on fire like Iron Man did, the demand for more movies featuring Robert Downey Jr. as Stark was strong.

The post-credits scene in the movie was the tip of the iceberg teasing the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which was quickly expanded. Marvel announced a sequel right away, which itself added onto the budding MCU and set up the superhero team up to come in The Avengers.

The MCU, Iron Man, and Downey himself have all come a long way since this photo was taken. Marvel Studios seems to be the goose laying golden eggs, churning out hit after hit including the wildly successful Black Panther. Iron Man is arguably the company’s most popular character, though the King of Wakanda seems to be giving him a run for his money now. And Downey is one of Hollywood’s most profitable stars, though his time in the MCU may be coming to a close.

Fans will get to see the culmination of ten years of Marvel movies next month when Avengers: Infinity War releases in theaters, bringing together every franchise character so far to take on the Mad Titan known as Thanos in his quest to vanquish life from the universe.

Avengers: Infinity War premieres in theaters on April 27th.

What’s your favorite memory from the last decade of Marvel Studios movies? Let us know with your thoughts in the comments!