Iron Man’s True Archnemesis Has Appeared In The MCU Twice & Still Never Met Him

Iron Man’s greatest Marvel Comics adversary made his second MCU appearance in What If…? season 2, but the infamous villain never got the chance to battle Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark. Downey Jr. debuted as Tony Stark back in 2008’s Iron Man, Marvel Studios’ first MCU project. As well as introducing the future armored Avenger, Iron Man also teased the debut of one of Marvel Comics’ most sinister villains. While Tony Stark went on to battle Obadiah Stane’s Iron Monger, Justin Hammer and Ivan Vanko, Aldrich Killian, Loki, Ultron and the Mad Titan Thanos, the MCU’s Iron Man never got the opportunity to go toe-to-toe with his Marvel Comics archenemy.

Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark became a cornerstone of the MCU following his debut in Iron Man, acting as one of the central heroes of the franchise, as well as a founding member of the Avengers and mentor to the younger generation. Stark also had the bad luck of creating many of his own villains, with the likes of Obadiah Stane, Ivan Vanko, Aldrich Killian and Ultron all seeking personal vengeance on Iron Man. One of his most prominent and long-lasting foes, however, wasn’t a product of his own making, but unfortunately never crossed paths with Tony Stark, though he has since made two appearances in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga.

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Iron Man’s Real Archnemesis Has Appeared Twice In The MCU

The Mandarin was introduced to Marvel Comics in 1964’s Tales of Suspense #50, only a year after Tony Stark’s Iron Man made his own debut. Since then, Iron Man and the Mandarin have come to blows on many occasions, solidifying themselves as long-lasting archenemies, with the Mandarin using his powerful Ten Rings to attack Stark’s advanced technology over and over again. Some of these epic spars will never be seen in the MCU, however, as Marvel Studios’ version of the Mandarin, Tony Leung’s Xu Wenwu, made his first appearance in 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, two years after Iron Man’s heroic sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame​​​​​​​.

While Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ended with Xu Wenwu’s demise – and his handing of the Ten Rings to his son, Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi – the supervillain made a reappearance in Phase 5. What If…? season 2, episode 7, “What If… Hela Found the Ten Rings?,” saw Cate Blanchett’s Goddess of Death meet Xu Wenwu and his followers in the Ten Rings upon her exile to Earth. Together, the pair fought Odin and brought peace back to the Nine Realms, perhaps contradicting Wenwu’s craving for authority. Despite his continued appearances in the MCU, it seems Xu Wenwu won’t get the chance to fight his true enemy.

Wenwu’s Iron Man Links In The MCU Explained

Even though Xu Wenwu didn’t show up until 2021, his followers have been in the MCU since the beginning. In 2008’s Iron Man, the Ten Rings kidnaped Tony Stark in Afghanistan, leading to the creation of the first Iron Man suit. Wenwu’s Mandarin was planned to be Iron Man’s villain, but instead, the Mandarin was teased in Iron Man 3, but revealed to be actor Trevor Slattery. Marvel Studios’ All Hail the King One-Shot and Iron Man 3 Prelude comic did reveal the true Mandarin, but the villain was never destined to meet Iron Man in the MCU. Perhaps future episodes of What If…? can rectify this major missed opportunity.