Shane Black explained the concept of the Mandarin being a front for Aldrich Killian, as a play on perceptions and expectations: "I wanted to do an interesting story choice, something that was about our own fear, and our own ways of viewing villains. What if he's sort of this all-things-to-all-people uber-terrorist? What if he is the myth, and in the end, that is what we're dealing with: a created myth perpetuated and cobbled together from popular consciousness?" Producer Kevin Feige admitted it was a huge risk to do, "But it's sometimes important to break with tradition, even at the risk of alienating some purists. Shane had really great ideas about identity and anonymity and false faces."