Chapter 7: I Am Iron Man: Leader Authenticity, Self-awareness and Growth in Marvel Films

At the start of the first Iron Man movie, we would think that Tony Stark has a great life. He is rich, has won major awards, and is fawned over by attractive women. He seems to be able to just do whatever he wants. But, even as we are introduced to this, Stark himself seems bored, going through the motions. Is this really the life he wants?

This question becomes even more acute when he is kidnapped. He sees the weapons his company makes (and that have made him rich) be used to kill his own countrymen. In captivity, he sees his life as empty with no real personal relationships. He gets an injury to his heart that will likely affect him the rest of his life and could kill him. Stark leaves captivity feeling that his life needs to change, this life is not who he is or who he wants to be. This trajectory will lead him to become Iron Man, stop his company from profiting from war, and ultimately give his life for the good of the world.