Iron Man

Brilliant weapons manufacturer Tony Stark is captured by terrorists in Afghanistan and forced to build a weapon. Instead he builds a suit of armor and escapes — and upon returning home decides to use his technology to protect the world rather than arm it. Robert Downey Jr’s effortlessly charismatic performance launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe and defined it for fifteen years. The film proved superhero movies could be witty self-aware and anchored by genuine character rather than just spectacle.