For fans of Marvel, the chance to see extended footage and flesh out their Cinematic Universe is always very, very welcome. It comes as no surprise that upset followers of Iron Man 3 kicked up a bit of a stink when scenes shot with a foreign audience in mind….were cut from the domestic release. To settle the matter, Marvel are to assemble the footage for U.S. audiences.
Taking the form of a short film called The Prologue, it will last approximately three minutes and contain scenes based around Dr. Wu. Wu receives only ten seconds of screen time in the U.S. version but his presence was extended for the Chinese release. It’ll most likely turn up on the film’s Blu-ray release in late September/early October. Nothing has been confirmed by the studio just yet though but it might even make an appearance online.
From what’s been reported about the China-specific footage, we know that it’s akin to watching Iron Man in a commercial. Audiences in Hong Kong attending the first midnight screenings were taken aback when product placements cropped up from the film’s outset. Sounds superfluous, and Collider reports that it does little to contribute to the overall story. The film still managed to swipe the record for China’s best ever opening, knocking Transformers: Dark Of The Moon from the top spot. It netted $21.1 million in its first day.
Iron Man 3 has dominated the box office worldwide. Its domestic grosses currently sit at $232 million and its foreign takings at $563 million. Marvel’s superhero-in-a-can has major pulling power. Not only due to his charm, wit and buff physique. Iron Man is a profitable venture for all parties involved, which is why the latest instalment was co-financed by Chinese company, DMG Entertainment. Hence the additional footage popped in for Iron Man’s China followers.
For die-hard fans it’ll be a must-see, but for those unfazed by Iron Man 3…probably not.