Marvel Studios originally announced Armor Wars as a Disney+ TV series, but if She-Hulk: Attorney at Law proved anything, it's that certain visual effects work best on the big screen and with a theatrical title's budget.
Now, Armor Wars will be a movie and, if recent rumours are to be believed, we expect characters such as War Machine, Ironheart, Justin Hammer, and Ezekiel Stane to take centre stage. In a project with that title, though, fans can anticipate seeing more than a few armoured heroes and villains.
In this feature, we're taking a look at the characters we think should somehow factor into Armor Wars. Whether their roles are big or small, each of them has the potential to bring something exciting to the table when Tony Stark's Iron Man technology ends up in the wrong hands.
You can find out who we've singled out by clicking on the "Next" button below...
8. Arno Stark
First introduced in Iron Man #118 in 1979, Arno Stark was revealed as Tony's adoptive brother. Despite being part of the Stark family, Arno's genius-level intellect has made him more than a match for his brother and he's since become a recurring antagonist.
His story has been retconned and changed on several occasions over the years, whether it's in the "Iron Man 2020" storyline from the 1980s - which revealed he was the son of Howard Stark and Maria Stark in a possible future - or as Tony's biological brother. The latest version has been depicted as wanting to take Tony's place as Iron Man and Stark Industries CEO.
Introducing Tony's long-lost brothers in the MCU could raise some eyebrows, but Arno being an imposter with a claim to his "brother's" fortune does have some intriguing storytelling potential.
7. Guardsman
Several people have held this mantle over the years, but we're going to keep the focus on Kevin O'Brien and his successor, Michael O'Brien (who, oddly, was no relation to the original Guardsman).
Kevin was a Stark Industries employee who, driven by a desire for wealth and power, accepted an offer from Justin Hammer to become a test subject for the Guardsman suit. The armour was meant to counteract Iron Man's technology, but O'Brien's mental instability made him more dangerous than expected. Michael, meanwhile, was a firefighter who used the suit to do good.
Either character could make for an interesting addition to Armor Wars, but we'd suggest Kevin's Guardman as being one of many new "superheroes" created by Hammer as he takes advantage of the Department of Damage Control's access to Stark Industries technology.
6. Beetle
There have also been several versions of Beetle, but it's Abner "Abe" Jenkins who we'd expect to see take centre stage in this movie.
An ex-mechanic and an expert in electronics and engineering, he became dissatisfied with his mundane life and turned to a life of crime. Designing a suit of powered battle armour equipped with various technological enhancements, he took on the name "Beetle" and donned a suit which granted him superhuman strength, flight capabilities, and an array of offensive weaponry.
Many of you will know him best for eventually becoming a hero and joining the Thunderbolts, of course, and we'd love to see Abner start as an ally of one of Armor Wars' villains, only to then create his own suit and eventually decide to do the right thing. Alternatively, he could be used as cannon fodder for War Machine...
5. Jocasta
Rumours continue to swirl that Ultron will make his grand return in Armor Wars, and that surely opens the door for another android to make its presence felt in the MCU. Heck, this would be a perfect tie-in to that long-delayed Vision Quest TV series.
In the comics, Jocasta was created by Ultron as a robotic bride, but she rebelled against her creator. The Avengers discovered her, and she eventually joined their ranks. Jocasta possesses superhuman strength, speed, and durability, along with advanced sensors and energy projection capabilities.
Whether this movie marks Jocasta's debut or continues her story, it would be pretty easy to put her centre stage in this story, even if it's as a new iteration of Ultron. Avengers: Age of Ultron teased the debut of "J.O.C.A.S.T.A." by revealing she was one of the A.I. helpers created by Iron Man.
4. Detroit Steel
Detroit Steel is typically associated with the military-industrial complex and is better known as Lieutenant Colonel Doug Johnson III. A military officer involved in the development of advanced weapons and technology, the Detroit Steel armour is highly sophisticated and heavily weaponized, making him more than a match for War Machine.
Originally donning the Detroit Steel armour as part of a military initiative, Johnson becomes a rival to Iron Man but is essentially franchised out to the U.S. Government by the villainous children of Justin Hammer.
Showing what happens when Tony Stark's technology is privatised, Detroit Steel's MCU introduction would be a fascinating way to explore what happens when essentially anyone can suit up as "Iron Man."
3. Technovore
Artificial Intelligence is all the rage these days and many of you will remember Technovore as a highly advanced and malevolent AI that poses a significant threat to technology and biological life alike.
Created by Tony Stark as a defence mechanism for his armour, Technovore gained sentience and turned against its creator...just like the MCU's Ultron. It seeks to assimilate and consume all forms of technology, often manifesting as a metallic, tentacled entity and is a relentless and destructive force, capable of infecting and taking control of advanced technological systems.
In the Iron Man: Rise of Technovore animated movie, Ezekiel Stane becomes Technovore's creator and with that villain set to appear in the upcoming Ironheart TV series, we'd say it makes all the sense in the world to throw an evil, out of control J.A.R.V.I.S. into the mix.
2. Crimson Dynamo
We're well aware that Marvel Studios borrowed heavily from this character for Iron Man 2's Whiplash, but that doesn't mean there isn't room to reinvent one of Tony Stark's greatest comic book foes for Armor Wars.
The first version of the villain was indeed a Soviet scientist, Anton Vanko, who set out to make a suit of armour which could rival Iron Man's technology. Since then, Yuri Petrovich, Alex Nevsky, and other Russian or Soviet agents have all held the mantle, and they've all made Tony's life incredibly difficult.
This movie doesn't seem like the right place to explore Cold War tensions, even with Russia's place in the world considered a touchy subject given what's happened in recent years. However, there's still a way to make Crimson Dynamo a relevant and formidable villain, even if it ties into the Red Room, for example.
1. Madame Masque
We're cheating a little here because Madame Masque isn't technically an armoured villain. However, that's nothing a retcon can't fix and despite the character's role in Agent Carter, Whitney Frost deserves to be reinvented for the present-day MCU where she could potentially be this movie's big bad.
The character was introduced as an actress and the daughter of crime boss Byron Frost. Due to a disfiguring injury, she began wearing a golden mask, adopting the alias Madame Masque and, in recent years, she's been closely linked to the criminal organization known as the Maggia.
Skilled in hand-to-hand combat and often adept with advanced technology and weaponry, she had a complicated relationship with Iron Man and could easily receive a few power upgrades which explains the mask. How cool would it be if that's the only weapon she needs to take on the likes of War Machine and Ironheart?