Trivia: During the film's climax, a young boy in an Iron Man mask is shown standing up to one of the Hammer drones with Iron Man swooping in and destroying the drone and giving the kid the credit. Following Spider-Man's inclusion in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a fan theory suggested the young boy was Peter Parker, which Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and Spider-Man actor Tom Holland would later retroactively confirm.
Trivia: Near the end, where Nick Fury and Tony Stark are talking about the Avengers, there is a world map behind them featuring dots. The dots show where the Avengers are: New York (Iron Man); Arctic Circle (Captain America); Europe (Black Widow); Lower Africa (Wakanda for Black Panther); California (Hulk); New Mexico (Thor); Southern Atlantic Ocean (Namor the Sub-Mariner). (01:55:55)
Trivia: During the movie, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson holds up a circular red, white and blue object with a star and asks where he got it. That was Captain America's shield, which also appeared in the first movie in the background, which caused a stir by the fans.
Trivia: During the fight between Tony and Jim, Tony says "Step up if you think you have what it takes to be a war machine". War Machine is the name of the modified Iron Man armor that Jim wears in the comics.
Trivia: At the end of the movie when Nick Fury and Tony Stark are talking in the warehouse, the news report seen on the TV is a broadcast from the fight between the Hulk and the army at the university campus from 'The Incredible Hulk' movie. (01:55:00)
Trivia: Spoiler: The film closely resembles several key Iron Man stories from the comics. The part when he was drunk references the "Demon in a bottle" storyline, where Rhodey dons an Iron Man suit. The part of him dying is somewhat similar to "Ultimate Iron Man." Also, the idea that his technology is used in a way he doesn't like and having a battle is similar to the "Armor Wars" plot.
Trivia: Emily Blunt was originally cast as Black Widow, but scheduling conflicts with Gulliver's Travels caused her to pull out.
Trivia: Attack of the Show host Olivia Munn mentioned she was to have another role in the movie. She played reporter Chess Roberts, but originally had a somewhat bigger role. She was to play a girl at Stark's birthday party who then appears in his bedroom. The scene was eventually cut because it didn't have any comedy in it.
Trivia: Ivan Vanko is a mixture of two Iron Man villains: Whiplash, which is the primary part, and Crimson Dynamo. Anton Vanko (Ivan's father) was the original Dynamo and in the final battle, Vanko wears a suit similar to Dynamo, as it's a hybrid between that and Whiplash.
Trivia: In the comics, Justin Hammer is an elderly man whose appearance is based on actor Peter Cushing and who is named for the Hammer Horror films in which Cushing appeared. He was aged down for this film to make him more of a contemporary rival to Tony Stark.
Trivia: Not sure if it was done on purpose, but when Tony and Happy are sparring and "Natalie" (Natasha) walks in, the song playing is "Magnificent Seven" by The Clash. It just so happens the Avengers (or the Avengers Initiative) are made up of Iron Man, Black Widow, Hulk, Thor, Captain America,, Hawkeye, and Black Panther.
Suggested correction: I don't really think this constitutes trivia. I don't see the connection. Is there some significance to the lyrics I'm not realizing? Or are you suggesting that there are only seven Avengers in the MCU? Because if so, that's not really true at all. (It's not even true in the Avengers comics, which frequently shifts characters around.) Especially as when this film came out, Black Panther wouldn't be introduced for another six years. Plus that completely ignores characters like Ant-Man, Wasp, Doctor Strange, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Scarlet Witch, War Machine, Falcon, Vision, Captain Marvel and Spider-Man, who join the team at various points during the franchise. I think this trivia is stretching at best, and trying to create significance where there is none.
Which is why I wasn't sure if it was done one purpose, or if it seems significant. However, when Fury and Tony are talking at the end and you see markers on the map, there's one in Africa where Wakanda is, suggesting Black Panther was part of the Avengers Initiative, whereas the others weren't.
