If there is a single problem with the Iron Man franchise (in all its forms) it's that he doesn't have the greatest cadre of villains. Unlike, say, Batman, who has icons such as The Joker, The Riddler, Catwoman, and Two-Face, Iron Man's foes don't have great name recognition. One villain in particular, however, is known by anyone who has even lightly brushed up on the character: The Mandarin. As leader of The Ten Rings, The Mandarin is easily Iron Man's greatest foe. With Whiplash set to appear as the upcoming sequel's main villain, many fans have questioned when we're going to see the hero's arch-rival on the big screen. If Faran Tahir (who played Raza in the first movie) is to be believed, it won't be much longer.
In an interview with Tahir by Moviefone UK, the subject of Iron Man (remember: his character's death is never confirmed on-screen) and the direction of the franchise came up, as well as his possible role. When asked about the third film, he responded by saying that Favreau is not stupid (I'm sure he appreciated that) and that he is well aware of fan's feelings and hopes, confirming that, "at some point, they want to introduce Mandarin into the storyline." Covering his own ass a bit, he then said that leaving it open-ended is good for business, but I'll leave you to make that judgment. As for his possible role in the film, it is still very much in the air, but he claims that he still appreciates the question being asked.
While Tahir's perspective on the future of the franchise might not seem like much, it does drive home a point. While the first film had its flaws, it is still one of the best comic book movies ever made and a large part of that has to do with John Favreau. Much like Nolan with Batman, he seems to actually care about the character and it's refreshing to hear about a director so in tune with his fan base. The truth is, if fans really want to see a film version of The Mandarin, Favreau is going to deliver.
