“Why wouldn’t Tony Stark just call The Avengers if he’s having a problem in Iron Man 3?” It’s a questions fans have been asking for months in anticipation of the first film of Marvel Phase 2, out May 3rd. We all know Tony Stark is friendly with the likes of Captain America, The Hulk, Hawkeye, Thor and Black Widow so it would make sense for him to ask for help when battling The Mandarin. So why doesn’t he?

At a recent roundtable we joined with director Shane Black and Marvel President Kevin Feige (from which we’ll have more soon), Feige explained why he doesn’t think that’s a problem, and confirmed it will be dealt with in the movie. He also discussed how the S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show fits into the cinematic Marvel Universe. Read his quotes below.



Here’s Feige’s answer to the question of why Tony won’t call The Avengers:

Journalist: After cell phones came out horror directors had to come up with elaborate ways to explain why people wouldn’t call someone on a cell phone for help, now that all The Avengers know each other do you have to come up with excuses for why Tony Stark wouldn’t reach out when he needs a hand? Feige: It’s a good question, and it’s sort of half and half. I am betting that like the comics you don’t have to keep – if you are reading a standalone “Iron Man” comic, they don’t spend every page explaining where every other Marvel hero is. The audience kind of accepts that there are times when they’re on their own and there are times when they are together. I’m betting that movie audiences will feel the same way. That being said, there is a little bit of lip service here and there to that. There is also just the very nature of Tony wants to, once he barely survives that house attack you saw today, and even you saw it in the message he left for Pepper, he’s basically saying “I’m going off the grid to try to figure something out.”

So not only will Iron Man 3 directly deal with the lack of Avengers, it specifically puts Tony in an isolated state of mind where, even if he wanted help, he wouldn’t ask for it.

As for the S.H.I.E.L.D. show, Feige was asked if Tony knew his good friend Phil Coulson was alive and well on TV:

Feige: Does Tony know that? No.

That doesn’t confirm anything about the show, but cements that it won’t tie in just yet with the movies.

Do you think these answers, especially the Avengers one, will satisfy audiences?