Ben Kingsley makes for a scary Mandarin in 'Iron Man 3'

Brian Truitt, USA TODAY | USATODAY

In the long filmography of Ben Kingsley roles, the Mandarin will undoubtedly end up being a far cry from the likes of Gandhi.

Brandishing a wicked beard — and a wicked modus operandi — the Oscar-winning actor plays the longtime comic-book villain in the new superhero movie Iron Man 3, out May 3.

Kingsley chews up scenery but also does a number on the scenic view of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in the movie, as his international terrorist deploys a group of missile-bearing helicopters to lay waste to the billionaire playboy's palatial residence and home to all Stark's Iron Man weaponry.

In comic-book history, the Mandarin is Iron Man's most iconic foe. First appearing in Tales of Suspense No. 50 in 1964, the Chinese scientific genius is an ace martial artist and is well known for wearing rings on each of his fingers boasting different powers, from heat blasts to concussive energy beams.

Fans will have to wait till May 3 to figure out how much Kingsley's Mandarin is like his comic counterpart. On set in North Carolina, though, the actor was definitely dangerous enough to keep the most jaded crew members quieted and riveted, according to Kevin Feige, Iron Man 3 producer and president of Marvel Studios.

"On his last take of his first full day as the Mandarin, when they yelled 'Cut!' the entire crew burst into applause, spearheaded by Mr. Downey himself," he says. "It was pretty amazing to see that."

The producer can count on one hand — or maybe on a couple of ringed fingers — how many times he's witnessed a similar scene.

"That's what you get when you hire Sir Ben Kingsley. He's so excited about his part and so into this character, and frankly just scaring the heck out of everybody," Feige says. "They're like, 'You've broken us out of our skeptical malaise!' "