By far one of the most notable moments in the "Iron Man 2" trailer that arrived in March was the debut of Tony Stark's briefcase armor, a longtime element of the hero's history and a valuable tool in his arsenal of high-tech armor.

Veteran "Iron Man" artist Bob Layton, who along with writer David Michelinie was responsible for some of the character's best-loved tales and landmark moments (the celebrated "Demon in a Bottle" storyline and the introduction of characters Jim "Rhodey" Rhodes and Justin Hammer, for example), told MTV News he was just as surprised as anyone when he saw the briefcase armor debut — except he saw it almost half a year ago and had to keep it a secret until now.

Speaking with me during this weekend's C2E2 convention in Chicago, Layton recalled his visit to the set of "Iron Man 2" last summer, which included a surprise introduction to the new armor, which just so happens to be colored in the familiar "Silver Centurion" red-and-silver pallet he used throughout a significant portion of his run on the comic. Read more...

Last week, "Iron Man 2" director Jon Favreau described how his latest film would avoid "multi-villainitis," by inserting the new characters into the pre-existing relationships of the first film. For example, Scarlett Johansson's enigmatic Black Widow will come between Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and his long-time confidant, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow).

And while it's not currently clear if the Black Widow will be villainous or a heroic character within the movie, Favreau believes the ambiguity is an important part of her appeal.

"She is not what she presents herself as but I don't want to say more," related Favreau during an interview with the Los Angeles Times. "It's fun to keep people guessing. Part of the comics is the mystery surrounding character and then the sexual dynamic but also the cold-blooded efficiency like the spider." Read more...

As an actor, Mickey Rourke has gained a reputation for his hard-edged roles in films like "Sin City" and "The Wrestler." However, outside of the film industry Rourke is an outspoken animal activist and a well known dog-lover — characteristics that helped motivate his upcoming role as Whiplash in "Iron Man 2."

According to The Daily Express, Rourke used pictures of his deceased pets to stimulate his emotional performance while on the set of "Iron Man 2."

“He would have someone holding pictures of recently deceased pets off camera to make him feel sad or whatever for a scene,” said Robert Downey Jr.. “It was all serious stuff. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Read more...

When your days are dedicated to defeating supervillains and your nights are spent partying with the Los Angeles elite, sometimes there's only one way to relax in the morning — an excursion to the local donut shop.

In an interview with Hero Complex, "Iron Man 2" director Jon Favreau revealed why a hung over Tony Stark ends up in the donut hole of Los Angeles' iconic Randy's Donuts over the course of the movie.

"The idea was, 'What's this guy like the morning after?' 'Where would this guy go if he had a hangover?' And then the answer we came up with was 'He would go to Randy's Donuts,'" Favreau said of the scene. Read more...

We're less than a month away from the release of "Iron Man 2," Marvel Studios' hotly anticipated film directed by Jon Favreau. Not as if you didn't already know that, of course, what with the bevy of trailers, photos and viral marketing initiatives launched on behalf of the upcoming superhero sequel.

The excitement continues today in the form of a new two minute clip from "Iron Man 2" as well as four new production photographs, all of which combine together for one heck of an armored tour de force. Read more...

In "Iron Man," Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) had their hands full with Jeff Bridges' villainous businessman Obadiah Stane. Still, director Jon Favreau is confident that the triumvirate of villains featured in "Iron Man 2" — Whiplash (Mickey Rourke), Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) and possibly Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) — will be able to avoid the problems that plagued previous superhero movies featuring multiple villains.

"You want to be sure you don't suffer from multi-villainitis," Favreau told The Los Angeles Times. "That's been the downfall of many other superhero franchises."

"I was more concerned about the interpersonal dynamic and how the presence of [Johansson's character] would affect Tony and Pepper," continued Favreau. "Because what I didn't want to do is make this film episodic, like just another episode of a TV series." Read more...

Last week, a website for Stark Expo 2010 launched as part of a viral marketing campaign for "Iron Man 2," the upcoming superhero sequel directed by Jon Favreau. But the exact nature of Stark Expo, flashy though it may be, has remained mostly unknown to the public — until now!

In an official letter penned by Tony Stark himself, the red-and-gold armored hero explains to "all" — presumably including those of us not employed in the field of science — the nature of Stark Expo, an event that hasn't occured since 1974.

"When I got back from that cave, I told you what I wasn't going to do. I wasn't going to make weapons anymore," writes Stark. "I never told you, however, what I was going to do." Read more...

Stark Expo 2010 is in full effect, as the first major announcement of the fictional technology convention has been made by AccuTech, a subsidiary of Stark Industries.

A new viral website has launched in connection with "Iron Man 2," the upcoming superhero sequel from director Jon Favreau and Marvel Studios. Spinning out of the recently revealed Stark Expo 2010, the new site demonstrates the technology created by AccuTech, described as "an international knowledge-based group with 4,800 employees in over 30 countries."

As for AccuTech's purpose, it appears that the company is tapping into the Iron Man technology developed by Tony Stark himself for a new invention — the HazTech Exoskeleton. Read more...

Two new television spots for director Jon Favreau's "Iron Man 2" have appeared online in the past day, showcasing the healthy mixture of high octane action and hilarious comedy that fans have come to know, love and expect from the Marvel Studios superhero franchise.

In the first of the two clips, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is seen sitting across from S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) as they review a dossier containing a personality overview on the billionaire-turned-superhero.

"Mr. Stark displays compulsive behavior — prone to self-destructive tendencies, textbook narcissism," Stark reads from the document before looking at Fury. "Agreed." Read more...

Yesterday's launch of the new "Iron Man 2" website offered up a bunch of new images from the film, but today we have even more shots from Jon Favreau's much-anticipated sequel to the 2008 blockbuster.

The trio of new images that debuted at SuperHeroHype offer three very different takes on Tony Stark, as well as his supporting cast of characters. First and foremost among the shots is a new image of Marvel's armored Avenger powering up his palm-mounted repulsor at the camera.

We also get a nice shot of Sam Jackson as S.H.I.E.L.D. head honcho Nick Fury, having a little conversation with a helmetless Stark. And finally, we get a shot of Stark and his assistant, Pepper Potts (played by Gwyneth Paltrow). Read more...