The seventh film in the Marvel movie order and the start of Phase 2.

This is also the final Iron Man standalone movie as of 2019, and it really shows how Tony has grown since waking up in a cave.

The next Iron Man film was a box office success however produced surprisingly little effect on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, maybe since Avengers: Age of Ultron stomped throughout its completion of Tony Stark’s narrative arc. Directed and co-written from Shane Black (who produced the exceptional Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, starring Robert Downey Jr.), its interpretation of the Mandarin is one of the most subversive thoughts in the MCU–although admittedly, there is not much competition for this title. Iron Man 3 also concentrates on Tony’s PTSD, allowing Robert Downey Jr. to provide a more powerful performance than the previous Iron Man movie.

Click here to read about the eighth film in the Marvel movie order: Thor: The Dark World 2013