Iron Man (2008)
Heroes aren't born. They're built.
After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 30 April 2008 |
| Genre | Action, Science Fiction, Adventure |
| Director | Jon Favreau |
| Starring | Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard and Jeff Bridges |
| Runtime | 126 min |
| Rated | PG-13 |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes 94% · Rotten Tomatoes (average) 7.6/10 · Metacritic 79/100 · TMDB users 7.7/10 |
| Budget | $140 million |
| Box office | $585 million worldwide |
Where to watch Iron Man
Iron Man is streaming on Hulu ($18.99 a month) in the US. It is also on Disney+ ($15.99 a month). If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Disney+ is $15.99 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 30 September 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
What kind of watch this is
Iron Man is a 2008 action-adventure film. Directed by Jon Favreau, it runs 126 minutes and leans heavily on Robert Downey Jr.’s charisma to sell the idea that a suit of armor is just a very expensive coat. The tagline says heroes are built, but the plot suggests they are mostly assembled in caves.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes reported a 94% Tomatometer score and a 7.6 average in February 2026, while Metacritic assigned a 79 Metascore. Critics generally agreed the film worked because of Robert Downey Jr. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times noted that Downey "powers the lift-off separating this from most other superhero movies." Todd McCarthy of Variety called it an "expansively entertaining special effects extravaganza." Not every review was glowing. David Denby of The New Yorker found a "going-through-the-motions feel" to the whole show.
How it did with audiences
The budget sat at $140 million. It pulled in $318 million from Northern America and $585 million worldwide. That math works out to a healthy profit, though Marvel reported only around $60 million in net box office revenue by November 2008. Accounting is a strange beast. On TMDB, users rate it 7.7 out of 10.
Awards
Iron Man collected 9 awards from 38 nominations. The Saturns gave Jon Favreau a directing win, while Dan Lebental took home the Satellite for Best Editing. It landed on the American Film Institute's list of the 10 best films of 2008, a distinction that seems less about the plot and more about the suit.
What came next for the cast
Downey Jr. arrived from Zodiac. He left for The Avengers. Paltrow swapped Se7en for The Avengers. Bridges moved from The Big Lebowski into TRON: Legacy. Howard stepped from Crash into The Butler. The credits do not say the film caused these shifts. They only mark the time.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Iron Man.
Read more: The Avengers
Sources
- Iron Man on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q192724 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Iron Man (2008 film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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