But the more I think about it, the more I kinda wish they’d used this story for Captain America 2 instead of Iron Man 3. I tend to like Cap more when he’s drowning in disillusionment, and this is probably the closest we’re likely to get to a modernized adaption of “Secret Empire.” Unless Winter Soldier really surprises me.

Better questions: we see Stark and Bruce Banner drive off at the end of Avengers and, after Iron Man 3‘s credits, we see them chillin’ at the office once again. Where’d puny Banner go during the events of this narrative? And are we ever going to find out? If no one has the balls to do another Hulk movie (and, apparently, as of this writing, they don’t) they’re going to have to shove him into someone else’s movie sooner or later. Seems an obvious insertion point sailed right past them here. The presence of a Bruce Banner in the guest room would’ve made that whole “Home Invasion” scene go in a slightly different direction. Probably still would’ve wound up in the same place, but still…

On the other hand, that would’ve necessitated Banner having some part to play throughout, or he would’ve wound up as this film’s Black Widow, and we’d be staring at Iron Man 2 all over again. No thank you.

That’s the real problem, and it’s one comics still struggle with to this day. Even for creators fully engaged and invested in the material as we are, it’s hard to do justice to even one aspect of the Marvel Universe. Some refuse even that, clinging blindly to some dead man’s rule that, “You can only have one ‘magic bean’ in your script,” and that’s probably why they declined to put the Mandarin in the first movie. I’m sure someone raised their hand and said, “Um…yeah…Yellow Peril much?” but the prevailing logic for replacing him with Iron Monger seems to’ve been, “Superscience and magic? In the same film? Inconceivable!” Either Black knew going in, or Joss Whedon straight-up told him, that dealing with S.H.I.E.L.D., Banner, Cap, and the two Token Badass Normal Avengers, is it’s own flying aircraft carrier-sized headache. Iron Man 3‘s already pushing envelopes by having the armor *and* Extremis co-exist, and that was enough for Shane Black’s brain. I’m sure he had to fight whichever producers weren’t involved in Phase One to get even that much on screen. There’s a whole gang of producers on this thing. Seems like everyone jumped on the money train and started pulling in their own, pet direction. Still…it’s better than actively walking backward, or refusing to move at all…like some studio parent companies of comic book publishers I could name.

And I definitely appreciate your “Kahn Gambit” perspective on the stakes. Let no one say Killian isn’t an equal opportunity kidnapper! Best friends! Girlfriends! Protagonists! Bit players! The President of the United States of America! They kidnappin’ e’rybody ’round here. But let me ask the really douchey question: should Happy have died? I suppose we’ll get our answer if he returns for Iron Man 4, but a part of me feels somebody we knew should’ve died – really nailed the threat to a wall.

Ah, well. Quoth Terrance Howard’s Jim Rhodes: “Next time, baby.”

But that’s just my opinion.

Also, I’ve got a question for this film: where the hell is S.H.I.E.L.D? Wouldn’t they be some of the first people to help investigate these strings of super-powered terrorists attacks? And how the hell did Killian plan to hide his evil scheme from an espionage agency? Even if it did work I guarantee you that Killian will end up either dead or in some sort of super-prison after MURDERING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! I really hope there’s a good answer in Captain America: The Winter Soldier because if not Killian’s plan seems dangerously short sighted.