With the release of last year’s The Avengers, Marvel Studios finally reached the culmination of a cinematic universe years in the making. But that was just the beginning. Much like the decades-spanning comic books to which these films owe their origins, critical and commercial success has guaranteed that more sequels, spin-offs and stories will be making their way to the big screen in due course. And it all begins (again) with Iron Man 3, the start of Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Still dealing with the aftermath of the invasion of New York and his numerous inner demons, industrialist Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) – aka Iron Man (just in case you hadn’t quite caught on yet) – is caught off guard when his entire world is destroyed by a ruthless new enemy. Left with only his intellect intact, Stark embarks on a globetrotting journey to uncover those responsible, all as the line between man and machine becomes increasingly blurred.

Recurring players Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle are joined by some exciting new blood; including Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall and Ben Kingsley as the film’s big bad. Written and directed by Shane Black, (who made his directorial debut with the awesome Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), the film is a breath of fresh air after the Armoured Avenger’s somewhat disappointing sequel. No longer burdened by sophomore sequelitis, Iron Man 3 knocks it out of the park with a film that is clever, ambitious, and far more than your stock superhero sequel.