We already know that The Mandarin will haunt Tony Stark when Iron Man 3 rolls into theaters next May — and when he strikes, he’ll have the full force of The Ten Rings at his back, it seems.
The Ten Rings, first mentioned in the original Iron Man movie, are a terrorist organization within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They’ve remained quiet since that first film, though a scene featuring one of their agents was cut from Iron Man 2.
Now, Latino Review reports that the Ten Rings are back for “Iron Man 3,” based on the fact that the organization’s logo is on the hats crew members are wearing on the film’s set.
The news isn’t entirely shocking, since the arrival of the Mandarin and the resurgence of the Ten Rings kind of go together hand in hand. But Latino Review suggests that Shane Black’s “Iron Man” threequel might reveal that these shadowy operatives are the same forces behind the greatest tragedies in the Stark family’s history.
By all accounts, it looks like “Iron Man 3” could reveal the Mandarin’s interest in our favorite billionaire playboy philanthropist well before he ever developed his fancy suit of armor.