IRON MAN: Alternate Mark III Designs Include An Underwater Suit Of Armor And Comic Accurate Versions

Iron Man's first proper suit of armour from the 2008 movie is nothing short of iconic but this newly surfaced concept art reveals that it could have looked a whole lot different (and comic book accurate).

By JoshWilding - May 14, 2018 07:05 AM EST

Filed Under: Iron Man

Believe it or not, it's now been ten years since Iron Man hit theaters. The movie essentially gave birth to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and while we didn't know it at the time, it created a multi-billion dollar franchise which has produced hit after hit and a world so large that it's hard to keep track of just how many iconic superheroes now call it home. Needless to say, the movie is nothing short of historic.

So, with Avengers: Infinity War breaking box office records, we're now going back to the beginning and taking a look at alternate designs for the first proper suit Tony Stark wore in the 2008 release.

He donned the Mark III after creating that armour in the cave and then putting on a silver prototype which was a throwback to the comic books. Below, you'll see comic accurate takes on the suit, amazing alternate designs, and a look at how the version which ended up on screen was created. So, to take a look at the full list of rarely seen Iron Man concept art, simply click on the "View List" button below.

This is definitely a suit you can imagine in the comic books, especially as there's so much going on here. It's really bulky but looks extremely formidable and would have been fun to see in action.

This has clearly been inspired by the source material and while it would have looked incredible in live-action, there's also a risk that it could have come across a little cartoonish on the big screen.

A very intricate design, there's a lot about this one which works and the legs in particular definitely remind me of a lot of Iron Man's comic book adventures. It's just the top half which is a tad busy.

Before looking at more "realistic" designs, Marvel was clearly tempted to borrow heavily from the comics but my guess is that Adi Granov's work completely changed their approach to the suit.

A drastically different design to both the comic books and what ended up on screen, this actually reminds me a little of the suitcase armour Tony Stark ended up donning in this movie's sequel.

A fantastic shot of Iron Man blasting into the sky, it's amazing to think that when this piece was made, the Armoured Avenger's big screen adventures were still very much a pipe dream for fans.

Iron Man underwater? While we saw him do that in The Avengers, he wasn't in a specially designed suit and that's a shame because it would have been very cool seeing this brought to life.

What a difference some colour makes, eh? While Marvel has played around with the colour of Iron Man's suits in recent years, this is classic red and blue and seeing that added to the image is great.

I'm not sure whether this is an alternate take on Iron Man or just a vastly different take on Iron Man's armour but it's definitely visually distinctive and would have looked cool in live-action.

Adi Granov coming on board Iron Man was clearly a game changer and here we get to see an in-depth look at the many hidden elements of the suit and where all the weapons come from.

War Machine didn't make his big screen debut until Iron Man 2 but here we see a comic accurate take on his suit and it's fair to say that Marvel ultimately handed his debut pretty damn well.

Another version of Iron Man's suit which feels like it's been influenced by the comics, there's nothing wrong with this design but it ultimately doesn't feel special enough for the hero's big screen debut.

This gorgeous keyframe actually shows Tony Stark toying with the Mark II suit as he takes flight in his lab after figuring out how to use repulsors to take flight and head into action as a superhero.

It's kind of amazing to think that Iron Man once wore an actual helmet, especially as his latest armour in Avengers: Infinity War is made from nanotechnology and actually responds to his thoughts.

These pieces were designed to show Iron Man - in various states of disrepair - in a number of different environments. Apparently, this is actually a scene which was ultimately deleted from the script.

This very interesting piece of concept art shows the thought that was put into how Tony Stark would look when he wasn't wearing the armour and what might be required to keep it powered up.

Iron Man taking flight for the first time is one of the coolest moments in Marvel movie history and this stunning piece of concept art shows some of the thought that was put into making that a reality.

Tony Stark tests the might of his armour against a number of tanks in this rough sketch for the movie and it's a great piece which shows just how cool the character had the potential to look on screen.

The final design, it's fair to say that Marvel Studios and Jon Favreau definitely succeeded when it comes to bringing the hero to life in an effective manner for the first time a decade ago (I feel old).

AVENGERS Star Robert Downey Jr. Confirms He's Open To Playing Iron Man Again: [Kevin Feige] Will Always Win

Recommended For You:

Marvel Actress Gwyneth Paltrow Says There's A Limit On The Number Of Good Superhero Movies That Can Be Made

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

23 Comments

Dotanuki - 5/14/2018, 7:33 AM

I don't understand how this article is formatted. None of the pictures are visible in their entirety.

Please fix.

WruceBayne - 5/14/2018, 7:40 AM

@Dotanuki - I thought it was just me. I figured what was shown is what we were supposed to focus on.

Matador - 5/14/2018, 7:52 AM

@WruceBayne - And me

IctyoSapien - 5/14/2018, 7:40 AM

"What a difference some colour makes, eh? While Marvel has played around with the colour of Iron Man's suits in recent years, this is classic red and blue and seeing that added to the image is great."

Thats the yellowest blue i have ever seen

Vigor - 5/14/2018, 8:11 AM

@IctyoSapien - Josh sees a blue and gold dress

EskimoJ - 5/14/2018, 8:36 AM

@IctyoSapien - What color is the dress?

OmegaDaGrodd - 5/14/2018, 7:40 AM

Mark Thunder Thighs

Spock0Clock - 5/14/2018, 7:43 AM

...It's all crotches.

Not that I'm complaining, but... I wasn't expecting it to all be crotches.

Matador - 5/14/2018, 7:57 AM

@Spock0Clock - You didn't know Josh is a crotch man.

Josh's personal fav.

Spock0Clock - 5/14/2018, 8:05 AM

@Cayde6 -

Vigor - 5/14/2018, 8:09 AM

@Spock0Clock - lol I thought it was just the way it was rendered on my end

mgeoff88 - 5/14/2018, 8:11 AM

Now we know Josh is a leg man. Joking aside, I hope we get to see the stealth armor (Mark XVI) on the big screen someday:

Mark45 - 5/15/2018, 3:12 AM

@mgeoff88 - well technically we did, but we never got to see it’s capabilities and it was recoloured red in the final film.

789 - 5/14/2018, 8:12 AM

I love the second one.

case - 5/15/2018, 1:49 AM

Nope, nope and nope.

Mark45 - 5/15/2018, 3:17 AM

The one that you were unsure about being a vastly different take is concept art for a stealth suit, and was actually brought to the screen in iron man 3 as the mark 15 stealth armor.

The deep sea one you said would be cool to see on screen also was on screen, using that design for the mark 37 in iron man 3.

IRON MAN: Alternate Mark III Designs Include An Underwater Suit Of Armor And Comic Accurate Versions

Iron Man's first proper suit of armour from the 2008 movie is nothing short of iconic but this newly surfaced concept art reveals that it could have looked a whole lot different (and comic book accurate).

AVENGERS Star Robert Downey Jr. Confirms He's Open To Playing Iron Man Again: "[Kevin Feige] Will Always Win"

Marvel Actress Gwyneth Paltrow Says There's A Limit On The Number Of Good Superhero Movies That Can Be Made

Is EA Motive Still Working On The Single-Player IRON MAN Game Now That They're A BATTLEFIELD Studio?

AVENGERS Star Robert Downey Jr. Confirms He's Open To Playing Iron Man Again: "[Kevin Feige] Will Always Win"

Marvel Actress Gwyneth Paltrow Says There's A Limit On The Number Of Good Superhero Movies That Can Be Made

Is EA Motive Still Working On The Single-Player IRON MAN Game Now That They're A BATTLEFIELD Studio?

AVENGERS Star Robert Downey Jr. Confirms He's Open To Playing Iron Man Again: "[Kevin Feige] Will Always Win"

Marvel Actress Gwyneth Paltrow Says There's A Limit On The Number Of Good Superhero Movies That Can Be Made

Robert Downey Jr. Thanks Chris Nolan For Rescuing "Dwindling Credibility" After 12 Years Playing IRON MAN

Robert Downey Jr. Calls His MCU Performances The Best Work Of His Career But Feels They Were Overlooked

LOKI: Tom Hiddleston Responds To The Possibility Of Time Slipping To Revive Iron Man

Popular Headlines

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Every Major Marvel Cameo In The New Trailer - Possible SPOILERS

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Rob Liefeld Responds To Trailer's Shot At His Apparent Inability To Draw Feet

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Rumored To Feature An Appearance From [SPOILER] As [SPOILER]

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: 7 Biggest Easter Eggs, Reveals, And Spoilers In The New Trailer

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: What Happened That Led To Logan "[Letting] Down His Entire World"?

THE BATMAN Star Zoë Kravitz Makes Her Directorial Debut With BLINK TWICE - Check Out The First Trailer

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: New Statues And Standee Offer Another Look At Wade Wilson And Logan's Costumes

X-MEN Star Famke Janssen Backtracks On DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Claims: "You Never Know..."

THE BATMAN Star Zoë Kravitz Makes Her Directorial Debut With BLINK TWICE - Check Out The First Trailer

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: New Statues And Standee Offer Another Look At Wade Wilson And Logan's Costumes

X-MEN Star Famke Janssen Backtracks On DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Claims: "You Never Know..."

REBEL MOON Director Zack Snyder Reveals How His Extended Cuts Are Completely Different Movies

DUNE: PART TWO Director Denis Villeneuve On Whether Paul Is Really The Messiah And Threequel Plans - SPOILERS

BIG HERO 6: Here's The Latest On Whether Disney's First Animated Marvel Movie Is Getting A Sequel

Hot Headlines

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Official Trailer Features Ultimate Team-Up & Promises The Wildest MCU Movie Of All-Time!

MAN OF STEEL Director Zack Snyder Says Superman Would Be "Fake" If He Hadn't Killed General Zod

MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney Seemingly Takes Shot At Hollywood Producer: "Sorry For Having Great T**s"

Former X-MEN '97 Showrunner Beau DeMayo Says Show Will Address Mr. Sinister's Racism

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Every Major Marvel Cameo In The New Trailer - Possible SPOILERS

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

APPLE TV+'s NEUROMANCER Casts Callum Turner As Series Lead Case

DUNE: PART TWO Director Denis Villeneuve Breaks Down The Sequel's Ending And Teases MESSIAH Plans - SPOILERS

Jennifer Lopez Battle An A.I. Simu Liu In New Trailer For Netflix's ATLAS

REBEL MOON: Zack Snyder Says Director's Cuts Are "More Like A Parallel Universe Than An Extended Version"

Daisy Ridley Teases The Different STAR WARS Film That Will Hopefully Be A "New Adventure"

Zack Snyder's Animated Norse Mythology Series TWILIGHT OF THE GODS Will Be Released This Fall

Cartoons & Animated Features

X-MEN '97 Finally Reveals Its True Villain In "Bright Eyes" As We Get A Few Shocking Returns - SPOILERS

X-MEN '97: "Bright Eyes" Unleashes Rogue And Features TWO Huge Marvel Universe Cameos - SPOILERS

X-MEN '97: Rogue Is Out For Revenge In First Clip From Tomorrow's New Episode, "Bright Eyes"

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS - PART 2 Is Likely To Disappoint Fans Of BATMAN BEYOND - SPOILERS

X-MEN '97: Former Showrunner Beau DeMayo Says Series Will "Touch On" Mr. Sinister's Racism

BIG HERO 6 Producer Reveals Why We STILL Haven't Got A Sequel To Disney Animation's Marvel Movie

Gaming

TALES OF THE SHIRE: A LORD OF THE RINGS GAME Official Announcement Trailer Released

FALLOUT Series Showrunners Strongly Hint Season 2 Will Take Us To An Iconic Location From The Games

Billie Eilish Headlines FORTNITE FESTIVAL Season 3

LaKeith Stanfield To Star In Film Based On EL PASO, ELSEWHERE Vampire Video Game

Comedy Central Orders 10-Episode GOLDEN AXE Animated Series From Mike McMahan And Joe Chandler

FALLOUT Season 2 Will Feature One Of The Game's Most Iconic Monsters

Anime & Manga

New Trailer For GAROUDEN: THE WAY OF THE LONE WOLF Released Ahead Of Netflix Debut

Netflix's ONE PIECE Finds New Showrunner In PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS' Joe Tracz

DRAGON BALL SUPER Interval Special Announced By Jump While Manga Remains On Indefinite Hiatus

New Teaser And Key Art For Live-Action TRILLION GAME Movie

Netflix's PARASYTE: THE GREY Is Now Streaming; Here's What The Critics Are Saying

MY HERO ACADEMIA Tops X-MEN '97, INVINCIBLE And More In Social Media Engagement

Horror

BLINK TWICE: Channing Tatum Invites You To "Pussy Island" In First Trailer For Zoë Kravitz's Directorial Debut

THE WATCHERS New Trailer Sees Dakota Fanning Terrorised In Ishana Night Shyamalan's Directorial Debut

EVIL DEAD RISE Director Lee Cronin Shares Gruesome New BTS Photos To Mark Movie's One-Year Anniversary

Happy 4/20! Check Out The Red Band Trailer For New Stoner Horror Movie TRIM SEASON

ABIGAIL Spoilers: Find Out What Happens - And Who Shows Up - In New Horror Comedy

TRAP: First Trailer For M. Night Shyamalan's Latest Spoils The Big Twist

Action Movies & TV

MONKEY MAN Exclusive Interview With Mask Designer Eddie Yang; Dev Patel Film Now Available On Digital HD

Tom Cruise's MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 8 Adds SEVERANCE Actor Tramell Tillman

A24's CIVIL WAR Was The #1 Movie In America For The Second Week In A Row

JAMES BOND: Henry Cavill Isn't Closing The Door On Playing 007; "Maybe I'm Too Old Now. Maybe I'm Not..."

Alex Garland's CIVIL WAR Is The #1 Movie In North America- Opens To $25.7M

THE ACCOUNTANT 2 Adds Four More Actors Including JURASSIC WORLD Star Daniella Pineda

Pro Wrestling & MMA News

Finn Balor Has Reportedly Signed "Big Money" Deal To Remain In WWE Despite Interest From AEW

WWE Hall Of Famer Goldberg Says He Won't Sign With AEW Because It's "Too Cheesy"

Becky Lynch Is Crowned New WWE Women's World Champion On RAW In A Show Full Of Big Surprises