Film Gecko

Exclusive: Marc Worden Talks "Iron Man"

by Jane Boursaw on April 20th, 2008

We’re all giddy with anticipation over the upcoming live-action Iron Man movie, due in theaters May 2, 2008.

I thought it would be fun to talk with Marc Worden, the voice behind the animated character in The Invincible Iron Man, released on DVD Jan. 23, 2007. It’s a great production, and my son and I both loved the DVD.

Here, Worden talks about what it’s like to play a beloved comic book character (Spoiler: It’s fun!).

Jane: Talk a little about “The Invincible Iron Man.” It seems darker, both visually and emotionally, than the previous Avenger movies.

Marc: Yeah, I think you hit it right on. It is a darker film. This was a chance to tell a little bit more about the Iron Man story – his origin, his relationship with his father, and how he runs the Stark enterprise.

Jane: Were you familiar with Iron Man before you began voicing the part?

Marc: No, so I had to do my research and learn for myself who this guy is and what he’s about. When I did, I realized just how lucky I am to be able to bring him to life. All these characters have been part of popular consciousness for 40 years. Stan Lee created Iron Man in the 1960’s.

More after the jump, including a trailer…

Jane: What did you do to prepare for the role? Did you find a stash of old comics?

Marc: [laughs] Well, those comics from the 60’s are worth a fortune. I could never get my hands on those, unfortunately. But they did a reprinting called Essential Iron Man – that’s the first run of the series from the 60’s, which talks about the origin of the character. I also have the first couple of books of The Ultimates, which is what Ultimate Avengers is based on. So I was able to do my research by reading these great books.

Jane: When it’s a voice part, how do you get into character?

Marc: It’s all about being in the moment and committing to your choices. You record the voice before any of the animation is done, so you really have to apply your imagination to each scene and just give it your all.

Jane: When you do the voicing, do you know the whole storyline at that point?

Marc: Absolutely. Greg Johnson is the writer of the three films, so we have a copy of the script in the recording booth. In The Invincible Iron Man, I was very lucky to be able to work with other actors. Usually in a voice-over situation, you go in one person at a time, but because there was so much dialogue and interaction between characters, we were able to work together in the booth, which makes things much easier as an actor. Specifically, the best times I’ve had in the booth were when I was working with John McCook, who plays my father. Those scenes between father and son were a real confrontation, so to try and pull that off by myself would have been extremely difficult.

Jane: When you’re by yourself, do you have someone else feeding other lines to you?

Marc: No, you go through it one line at a time. There’s a voice director and producer in the control room. They try and explain the scenes to me, because they have a vision of what the final product is going to be. Obviously, that helps a great deal.

Jane: In your mind, are Iron Man and Tony Stark two separate characters? How do you separate the two when you’re doing the voice?

Marc: For me, it’s all about attitude. Tony Stark is a combination of James Bond and Nikola Tesla. He’s kind of a playboy. He’s very sarcastic. He’s the third richest man on the planet, and he doesn’t have to answer to anybody. He lives a very privileged life, and I think that comes across. When he’s in the Iron Man suit, there’s a focus and a strength that hopefully comes across in the voice performance. That’s how I try to differentiate the two characters.

Jane: Stark has a lot of demons – depression, alcohol, women. “The Invincible Iron Man” touches on more of that than previous movies, doesn’t it?

Marc: It’s a darker film, but because we wanted the film to be accessible to a wide audience, there’s only so far you can go. In our first two films, there were little hints as to his imbibing, but it wasn’t pushed at all. This film is early on in Tony’s life, so we didn’t introduce his alcoholism as a part of the storyline because that’s not where he’s at in his life at that time.

Jane: What does it feel like to voice a Marvel character? Is it kind of surreal to watch the character and hear your voice coming out?

Marc: Absolutely. It’s a great honor for me to bring this guy to life. I feel very proud to be a part of these projects and really lucky to breathe life into this guy.

Jane: Did you read comics as a kid?

Marc: No, I didn’t. It wasn’t a part of my life, so this has introduced me to a whole new world, which has been great fun. We got to go to Wizard World Los Angeles, which is a comic book convention. We did a panel discussion at Comic Con, and then screened Ultimate Avengers 2 for about 2000 comic book fans. That was incredible. The energy in the room and the excitement to see the film before it was released…that felt great. The fans were cheering along with the movie and laughing at all the right spots. But that’s who these films are for. We want to continue making these films, so as long as the fans want to see more, we’ll get that opportunity.

Jane: Are comic book fans the best fans in the world?

Marc: Absolutely, they are committed. It’s fantasy. It’s all about fun.

Jane: Is there sort of a division between Marvel and DC fans? Do people generally like one or the other?

Marc: It’s like the difference between Mac and PC. You connect with whichever characters touch you. I personally love the Marvel characters and feel lucky to be in the Avengers.

Jane: My son and I were laughing in the scene in “Ultimate Avengers” where Thor appears and Tony says, “Who’s the chick with the hammer?”

Marc: Well, Tony has a very dry sense of humor, so I’m glad it comes across.

Jane: Anything else you’d like to add?

Marc: Thank you so much for your interest. I hope everyone gets a chance to see this film and enjoys it, and then we’ll get the chance to make more of them.

Check out the Trailer for The Invincible Iron Man: