This is gonna be tight…
Coming May 4
Follow the link for the “Iron Man workout”
Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man Workout
The workout routine that helped this Hollywood star gain 25 pounds of pure muscle.
MF Editors
Photography by: Sam Jones
Its been four years since Robert Downey Jr. first suited up as Iron Man. In this summers The Avengers, Downey Jr. reprises the role alongside Chris Evans (Captain America) and Chris Hemsworth (Thor).
Even for a veteran Hollywood superstar like Downey Jr., youd think itd be a little intimidating to perform opposite men that are younger, more athletic, and physically primed to take on the roles of super-soldier and Norse God. Think again.
Im not particularly tall, strong, fast, or aggressive, Downey Jr. told us, But Im not faking it.
Far from it.
Since 2003, he has trained using the Wing Chun technique made famous by Bruce Lee, a discipline thats become a part of his daily routineand his dedication to perfecting the art is evident in his performances.
He is also a beast in the gym (see Downey Jr.s plan below) but knows his limits: Im not a kid, he told us, And Im not a professional athlete.
Getting in Iron Man shape, however, forced Downey Jr. back into the gym in conjunction with his Wing Chun training. We cut way back on cardio and really increased the weight he was lifting, says Brad Bose, Downey Jr.s trainer. After months of hard work and consuming 5,000 calories a day, Downey Jr. had packed on 25 pounds of muscle and forged a physique truly worthy of Iron Man.
Related threads:
Iron Man
Thor
Captain America
Hulk
Did I miss any?
Five fact about The Avengers
April 25, 2012
The Avengers hits Australian screens today. Here are some things you probably didn’t know about the action flick and the making of it.
Them’s fighting words
Tom Hiddleston, who plays the Norse god Loki, had to learn the most fight sequences of any cast member for his battles with The Avengers. He did training in Wushu, a Chinese martial art, as well as boxing, stick and staff work, knife work and hand-to-hand combat.
He wasn’t the only one put through the wringer though.
Mark Ruffalo lost 21 pounds to play Hulk, while shooting had to be rescheduled when Jeremy Renner tore a muscle from his back to his shoulder filming stunts for Hawkeye.
Scarlett Johansson also trained extensively in Wushu and weapons handling alongside fight choreographer Jonathan Eusebio and her stunt double, Heidi Moneymaker.
It ain’s easy being green
Mark Ruffalo, who replaced Edward Norton as The Hulk, says it’s not a role he would usually take on, but Robert Downey Jnr and the Iron Man movies were what convinced him.
He says unlike previous incarnations of The Hulk, he doesn’t change size in The Avengers and is always “about eight and a half feet tall” regardless of how angry he is.
The Avengers is the first time, in film, TV and in the comics, that Bruce Banner and The Hulk have had physical similarities. Instead of just CGI, director Joss Whedon used motion capture technology (used to create characters like Gollum from Lord of the Rings) so you can see Ruffalo’s facial characteristics in The Hulk.
The Scarlett letter
The usually blonde Scarlett Johansson was not Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau’s first choice to play Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, who in the comics is a tall Russian redhead. But when he met with her, she had dyed her hair red so he would know she was serious about the part.
The Avengers director Whedon made it clear from the beginning that a strong female character was absolutely essential and an all-male Avengers team was unacceptable.
Samuel ‘Leeaky’ Jackson
The Avengers is the first time Samuel L Jackson’s SHIELD agent Nick Fury has stepped into a main role, instead of just cameos. But during filming, his printer was hacked and the movie script for The Avengers leaked online. Marvel sent a team of investigators to Canada to track down the person that put it up for sale online.
Nick Fury’s own spin-off movie is now in the works, with Jackson predicting fellow agent Black Widow (Johansson) will also be in it.
Spying the spies during the shoot
The first day of the 92-day shoot was on April 24, 2011, and involved a scene where Nick Fury confronts Steve Rogers in an old boxing gym with a new mission.
It wasn’t until day 11 that the entire lead cast of The Avengers assembled for the first time, for a scene where they find out why Nick has rounded them up.
Movies aren’t generally shot chronologically, but the last scene of the movie was also shot on the last day of production, with the film wrapping on September 5, 2011.
It was shot in Central Park in New York with the entire lead cast, but because it was a long weekend in the US, thousands of onlookers gathered to see the Avengers in costume, including Thor and Loki decked out in their Asgardian gear.
The Avengers releases in Australian cinemas today.
Scarlett’s stunt double is named Heidi Moneymaker? So what, she’s a Bond girl?
Iron Man’s workout link must be secret, the link doesn’t work. For me Iron Man and the incredibly hot Scarlett Johannsen are going to make this for me. Iron Man cause the Robert Downy Jr plays an incredible character and the visual effects are right on. Black Widow in tights…enough said.
My biggest disappointment is Thor and Captain America…just very cartoonie…not impressive in the least…maybe its just my expectations of the characters was so much more from my comic book days as a kid. Thor and Capn A were two of my favorite marvel characters. It’s like they’re the ‘B’ team to the rest of them.
I’m just hoping that they will actually have Hulk talk, instead of just growl and roar. The big metal dragon thing in the commercials looks like a take on the midgard serpent or Fin Fang Foom.
the skrull is the alien army they face.
[QUOTE=Hebrew Hammer;1168140]Iron Man’s workout link must be secret, the link doesn’t work. For me Iron Man and the incredibly hot Scarlett Johannsen are going to make this for me. Iron Man cause the Robert Downy Jr plays an incredible character and the visual effects are right on. Black Widow in tights…enough said.
My biggest disappointment is Thor and Captain America…just very cartoonie…not impressive in the least…maybe its just my expectations of the characters was so much more from my comic book days as a kid. Thor and Capn A were two of my favorite marvel characters. It’s like they’re the ‘B’ team to the rest of them.[/QUOTE]
What I don’t get is you have Thor, who else do you need? LOL !
We are talking about the God of thunder, right? 
Never been a CA fan myself, but liked the movie and how well it was done.
ya but thor is in time out for disobeying his father, so he doesnt necessarily have the support of asgard. at least he gets mjolnir and some nifty powers…and he can outdrink anyone. probably his coolest power.
[QUOTE=Lucas;1168224]ya but thor is in time out for disobeying his father, so he doesnt necessarily have the support of asgard. at least he gets mjolnir and some nifty powers…and he can outdrink anyone. probably his coolest power.[/QUOTE]
Ah, so is that the Thor storyline in the avengers movie?
pretty much ya. its the marvel thor schtick. he disobeys his father to help the realm of men when odin has forsaken them. so odin gets all mad and is like ‘ur cut off boy!’
then thor gets really drunk
thor has this rad ability to bust out asgardian mead
whats funny is that stan lee mixes hercules in with thor in the comics. hercules actually fights the hulk to a stand still.
I think that Thor’s hammer is really just a flask, a heavy one, but still just a flask !
LOL !
It’s all about black tights on heroines
[QUOTE=Hebrew Hammer;1168140]Iron Man’s workout link must be secret, the link doesn’t work. [/QUOTE] Sorry, my bad. I fixed that.
[QUOTE=Hebrew Hammer;1168140]…just very cartoonie…[/QUOTE] Wait, these are based on comics, right? 
Better than on board games, I suppose.
Jonathan Eusebio
Superhero stunts in The Avengers demand deep comic knowledge, a blend of fighting styles
Disney, Zade Rosenthal/Associated Press - In this film image released by Disney, Scarlett Johansson portraying Black Widow, left, and Jeremy Renner, portraying Hawkeye, are shown during the filming of Marvels The Avengers.
By Associated Press, Updated: Tuesday, May 1, 7:51 AM
LOS ANGELES The werewolf and vampire battles of Twilight, Jason Bournes super-agent skirmishes and the sword swinging of Conan the Barbarian were all just warm-ups for stunt master Jonathan Eusebio, who choreographed the superhero fight scenes in The Avengers with the passion of a lifelong comic book fan.
I grew up as a fanboy, said Eusebio, 38. I grew up reading comics, collecting comics, so for me its a dream job. And to be part of something new, something thats never been done before like this, it is really exciting. Its almost like the highlight of my career.
Eusebio spent countless childhood hours absorbing tales of the Hulks immense size and strength, Black Widows quick and deadly moves, Hawkeyes precision archery, Thor and Lokis otherworldly powers, and Captain Americas unflinching readiness. Add in a big Marvel budget and the high stakes of saving humanity, and its a comic-fan turned fight-coordinators perfect gig.
Eusebio taught Jeremy Renner how to wield Hawkeyes bow and showed Scarlett Johansson the Black Widows wicked martial arts. In short, he helped give the stars and their stunt doubles their superpowers.
The actors spent months preparing for the physical demands of their roles and learning the techniques that make them lethal on screen, if not on the street.
They began with basic training to learn the body mechanics of various martial arts, then Eusebio built fight sequences based on each characters attributes and actors strengths. He had a distinct advantage here: As a fight coordinator, hed worked with many of the actors before, and as a fanboy, he knew the characters well.
It becomes a part of you as youre growing up, he said.
He choreographs the fighting moves into a camera-ready routine, which the stars and their stunt doubles each master. Johansson, Renner and Chris Evans, who plays Captain America, compared the training process to learning a dance.
Its choreographed steps that are all put together in order for you to pack a punch and in order to make it safe and not as painful as it could be, Johansson said. You learn to kind of seamlessly become one with your double and with Jeremy (Renner)s double and be able to fight one another interchangeably.
Renner said he spent more time preparing than in front of the camera.
I only shot about 18 days, and when I wasnt shooting I was in that stunt gym, he said. It was mostly (learning) that hand-to-hand stuff that you cant (simulate by computer), and you cant fake it.
Evans compared the stunt preparation to superhero summer camp.
(Captain America) doesnt really have any training in any one particular style of fighting, so it wasnt like I had to learn some certain type of martial arts, he said. You just have to learn the choreography like you would a dance, you know, punch here, step here. Its just a lot of stunt training. Its kind of fun. Its kind of like summer camp.
Eusebio trained the actors in various fighting styles, including Wushu, Kung Fu and medieval techniques. Hawkeyes bow became a double-edged staff, Loki used knives and a scepter, and Black Widow wielded her own wild weaponry.
One of the biggest challenges was learning the Wushu style of fighting, which is really intense and complicated and painful, Johansson said. You do all your rehearsals with a broom handle, and suddenly you have a 30-lb. alien gun in your hand.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Samuel L. Jacksons Nick Fury, Clark Greggs Phil Coulson and Cobie Smulders Maria Hill also apply some serious firepower. Jackson said he didnt need too much preparation.
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All I had to do was learn how to grab the rifles and hold onto them and let the stunt guys do all the stuff and make it look like I was doing it to them, he said.
For Smulders, The Avengers is her first action film, so the star of TVs How I Met Your Mother did some extra training on the side: She hired a guy who trains SWAT teams.
I was also very scared of guns coming into this, Smulders said. So I had him bring a bunch of his guns unloaded to my house and had him just break it down. … All these things that I just wanted to have in my body and wanted to be really comfortable with.
Eusebio said he makes sure to remind the actors he works with that even though the stunt training instills confidence, the fighting skills they learn on set dont really translate to the street.
In screen fighting you want to look like youre hurting them without hurting them. In self-defense on the street, youre there to maim or hurt someone, he said.
But screen or street, its still clear to the fight coordinator who would win if the Marvel superheroes were to really go at it.
Im going strictly by the comics, Eusebio said. Of course Hulk is the strongest, but overall Captain America is supposed to be the best fighter.
But Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor, isnt convinced.
Ive got to say, I think Scarletts fight scenes are some of the most impressive, he said. All of us, we had wires and magical weapons and other advantages that she doesnt, but she holds her own in the film. Shed probably beat the hell out of all of us.
We’ll have something exclusive for KFM on opening day this Friday. 
It’s already made over 200 million.
I know, right?
Foreign release first. That’s interesting.
Our local theater is doing a marathon this Thursday. All six movies for only $20 (and a day of your life).
[QUOTE=GeneChing;1168795]Foreign release first. That’s interesting.
Our local theater is doing a marathon this Thursday. All six movies for only $20 (and a day of your life).[/QUOTE]
This may be a trend, doing the foreign releases first.
Most blockbusters make the bulk of their money outside of N.America I would think.
thats pretty much the new game…because foreign markets are paying extra to get the films before north america. the avengers was well into the black before they even shot the movie which is why they let the budget go up so astronomically high..at a time when studios dont want films that exceed 100million.
Greetings,
The foreign release of a movie IS the way to go now days. It avoids the machetes of the American cinema critics. Their shoddy reviews can ruin the international success of a movie. And a good international response will positively influence the domestic gross as well. Talk about word of mouth.
A movie marathon was done like that in the 1970’s for all five of the Planet of the Apes movies.
mickey
I went to one of those!
One of my high school buddies was heavy into Planet of the Apes and had made his own Cornelius costume. It was an all-nighter at this dive theater, that has long since been demolished. I remember they served bananas at the snack bar. It was great fun.
There was also a marathon leading up to the release of HP7. When I went to the screener, there were some people in costume who had done the first six movies over the previous two days. And I remember Star Wars marathons.
I’ve always thought a Chinese Ghost Story marathon would be fun.