Robert Downey Jr. will soon live the popular “being clad entirely in metal” young boy’s dream when - in 2008 - he assumes the role of billionaire Marvel superhero, The Iron Man (Of no relation to Testuo: The Iron Man). The movie, which is to be directed by Jon Favreau and is also going to be the first self-financed Marvel project, is expected to grace the theatres sometime in 2008, whilst production will begin in February next year. Plot-wise, Variety - as always - unearthed the facts: “In the comics, Stark was an alcoholic, a trait that will undoubtedly draw public comparisons with Downey’s own struggles with substance abuse. However, Feige said the first pic won’t deal with Stark’s alcohol problems, though it would likely come up in potential sequels. [The] first film will deal with Stark’s invention of the Iron Man suit and his conflicted past as a weapons inventor.”