Iron Man (2008) is an American superhero movie based on the Marvel Comics character. Made by Marvel Studios and released by Paramount Pictures, it is the first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is directed by Jon Favreau and written by Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway. Robert Downey Jr. plays Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man, with Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Leslie Bibb, and Shaun Toub in other key roles. The story shows how Stark, a genius engineer and wealthy businessman, escapes from a terrorist group and builds a strong armored suit, becoming the superhero Iron Man.