Iron Man 3 stands as one of the most controversial films to come out of the MCU and Robert Downey Jr's tenure under the suit of armor.
The trailers and marketing for the film had Iron Man fans ecstatic as the hero's most iconic villain The Mandarin was set to finally make his MCU debut played by legendary actor Ben Kingsley.
However, in a surprise twist, Kingsley's character was revealed to be an actor working for the Ten Rings and acting as a face for their terrorist activities. Meanwhile, AIM CEO Aldrich Killian — played by Guy Pearce — was revealed to be the true Mandarin and the man behind the attacks.
Despite his supposed death in the film, it seems the MCU's 'real Mandarin' is still up for making a return to the universe as Killian actor Guy Pearce shares his interest in coming back.
GUY PEARCE WOULD RETURN TO THE MCU
In an interview with ScreenRant, Aldrich Killian actor Guy Pearce shared his interest in returning to the Marvel universe down the line, describing his experience as “fantastic.” The Iron Man 3 actor went on to share the love he had for his time working with Robert Downey Jr and Gwenyth Paltrow, along with director Shane Black:
“I would certainly consider reprising it if they were interested in doing so. It was fantastic. It was great. I love playing that character. I loved working with Robert, of course, and Shane, our director, and Gwyneth who is adorable. I had a really, really great time. Who knows how we could do that?”
COULD THE MCU HAVE TWO MANDARINS?
Years after Iron Man 3 teased fans with the Mandarin in one of the biggest fake-outs of the MCU, Marvel fans are set to meet the real Mandarin this year. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will introduce viewers to the real Mandarin, played by Tony Leung.
Following the controversy created by Iron Man 3's big twist, a one-off short was released starring Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery as he is kidnaped from prison by “the man whose name” he stole, confirming the existence of a real Mandarin.
Guy Pearce's role in the MCU seemed at the time like a one-and-done villain, especially given his death in the film. While Marvel has a new Mandarin in Tony Leung, Killian could still return as the head of AIM, a major organization in the comic universe that the films have yet to truly do justice to.
The actor's willingness to return shouldn't be taken as any kind of evidence he will. Generally, most stars would always love to be involved with the studio that continually churns out some of the most lucrative films each and every year. However, it's always exciting to know that if Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios (and possibly even Robert Downey Jr.) ever have an idea in mind for the character, they'd likely be able to bring him back to make it happen.
