Iron Man is a 2008 superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. The film stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, an industrialist and genius inventor who creates a powered exoskeleton and becomes the superhero IRON Man. The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $585 million worldwide and receiving praise for its acting, story, direction, visual effects, and action sequences. It was the first installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was followed by several sequels.