Anghus Houvouras with five reasons why Mel Gibson should direct Iron Man 4…
Robert Downey Jr. set the internet ablaze with crazy and wild speculation after making a comment about the liklihood of his involvement in Iron Man 4 should certain factors fall into place. When asked about his long time friend Mel Gibson directing the movie, Downey responded with an honest and playful answer:
“Why not? That movie would be bananas.”
You’re god damned right it would. Can you even imagine an Iron Man movie directed by Mel Gibson? It wouldn’t just be bananas. It would be a metric ton of bananas soaked in kerosene and hurled into the stratosphere by a catapult made from the remains of the little people who played the Munchkins in Wizard of Oz, lit into combustion by a flaming arrow fired by the ghost of Andy Kaufman.
To be honest, I would have preferred to see a director of Mel Gibson’s pedigree take on Iron Man 3. The idea of someone like Gibson handling Tony Stark’s battle to control the demons swirling within him is a fantastic one. To be honest, I don’t know what a Mel Gibson directed Iron Man movie would like, but I want to. Here are five reasons why…
1. He’s a great director
Whether you love or hate Mel Gibson, he’s a fantastic creative talent. To quote South Park; “Say what you will about Mel Gibson, but the son of a bitch knows story structure.” Mel Gibson knows how to tell a story, and he has a sense of style and personality as a filmmaker lacking in many Marvel movies. Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ, Apocalypto… these are very diverse and eclectic films from a guy capable of shaping very compelling films with mass appeal. Why wouldn’t you want someone with his resume taking the reigns of a character like Iron Man?
2. He’s F-ing Nuts.
Yes, Mel Gibson is an unpredictable loon with an epic impulse control problem. Do you think that’s a bad thing? This could be one of those Hearts of Darkness/Apocalypse Now scenarios where the making of the movie is a thousand times more entertaining that the finished film itself. Just make sure someone has the cameras rolling.
3. Roman Polanski keeps making movies but Mel Gibson can’t find work?
Hollywood is strangely, selectively forgiving. People still line up to work with Woody Allen and Roman Polanski, but Mel Gibson is a pariah? I’m not saying that any of the aforementioned filmmakers are worth wasting a single breath to defend. But in principle, I do find the strange hypocrisy of Hollywood to be a fascinating cesspool.
4. Because Marvel movies could use a little pepper in the pot
The one thing that threatens the Marvel Cinematic Universe is repetition. The formula will only work for so long. Marvel is more averse to hiring filmmakers with a unique artistic vision than the Producers of the Twilight movies. At some point audiences are going to grow lethargic with the Alan Taylor and Peyton Reeds behind the camera. Guardians of the Galaxy and The Avengers have taught us that directors with a defined style and cinematic voice are far better choices for the Marvel movies. Mel Gibson directing Iron Man 4 would be unconventional and interesting and frankly would spice things up nicely.
5. Because he’s Mel Gibson, damn it!
Our big budget blockbusters have gotten so boring. They’ve become boilerplate experiences with very few surprises. We could use a little swagger from someone like Gibson who was around when big budget films weren’t bloodless bores constructed on computers and released as three-dimensional monstrosities. Can’t we give him another shot? Is he forever relegated to a career ending exile, only allowed to appear in B movie dreck like Machete Lives and The Expendables 3? Or can Mel weather the onslaught of bullets like Riggs at the end of Lethal Weapon 2, taking shot after shot from his enemies, surviving long enough to win the day. Perhaps Robert Downey Jr is his real life version of Roger Murtaugh and together they will bring us an epic Iron Man 4.
Or maybe Robert Downey Jr. is just fucking with us. Either way, I’m interested.
Anghus Houvouras is a North Carolina based writer and filmmaker. His latest work, the novel My Career Suicide Note, is available from Amazon. Follow him on Twitter.
Originally published October 5, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
