New 'Iron Man' villain appears in the trailer for the third film

The new 'Iron Man' villain, the Mandarin, will be portrayed by Ben Kingsley in 'Iron Man 3.'

It was only three weeks ago when Robert Downey Jr. returned to the set of Iron Man 3 after an injury and while principal photography resumes, so does the marketing campaign begin. We’ve known for three weeks that October 23rd would be the day the first Iron Man 3 trailer officially releases, offering a look at footage only seen so far behind-closed-doors at Comic-Con and certain trade and press events.

As a result of of fans joining the Iron Man Facebook page, a short preview of the trailer released on Sunday, followed by another earlier today to go along with the first Iron Man 3 poster and a set of photos from the film.

The media splash this week represents the first major marketing push for Iron Man 3 – and hence, the beginning of Phase Two of the Marvel cinematic universe – since Marvel Studios held a panel presentation for the film this summer at Comic-Con. At the presentation, director Shane Black, Marvel pres Kevin Feige and cast, shared several minutes of unfinished footage from the film.

In that sizzle reel, we got our very first look Ben Kingsley dressed up as the Mandarin to go along with his intimidating voiceover, a scene showcasing Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark suiting up in his new Extremis (Mark 47?) armor, and a mishmash of action bits including the destruction of Stark’s seaside mansion. While “darker in tone” has been the buzzword since Shane Black and Drew Pearce became in involved with the threequel, Iron Man 3 will not be without the series’ trademark character-driven comedic moments. In the Comic-Con footage, that was highlighted by a hilarious scene featuring Stark attempting to re-hire Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan as they reflect on the battle of New York from The Avengers.

The test trailers however – from the descriptions – focused strictly on the more intense, dramatic moments, and this trailer does exactly as described and includes the same voice over from the previous footage and the same scenes from the leaked descriptions. Watch the HD trailer on Apple. Official Iron Man 3 synopsis:

Marvel Studios’ “Iron Man 3″ pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

Does this first detailed look at Iron Man 3 offer a promising threequel that’ll make up for Iron Man 2? Does the style and tone match your expectations for the first chapter (read: first post-Avengers film) of Phase Two of the Marvel cinematic universe? How about Mandarin’s voice?

Rob Keyes blogs at Screen Rant.