Iron Man 2 is a decade old this month. The movie was released back in May 2010, and although it made over half a billion dollars globally, it also received mixed reviews from the critics.
It's important to remember that this was only the third movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first team-up movie, The Avengers, was still two years away. The success of this soon-to-be a multi-billion dollar franchise wasn't set in stone. And so, Iron Man 2 had a lot of heavy lifting to do. It had to further Tony Stark's self-discovery, but it also had to set up the umbrella narrative of the Avengers initiative.
Iron Man 2 is not as focused or hard-hitting as the first Iron Man, but it wasn't meant to be. Instead, it's a deconstruction of Tony Stark. The movie dares to portray its hero, not as a lovable jerk, but an actual jerk who's too selfish and ego-driven to hold himself accountable. It does more to dig down into the myth of the superhero than most of the MCU movies that followed.
Here are 21 cool Easter Eggs in Iron Man 2, a film that some feel is the most underrated installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is currently available to watch on Disney+ and Amazon Prime.