LOS ANGELES: "Iron Man 3" is expected to launch America's summer blockbuster season with a bang this weekend, having already taken global box offices by storm, industry analysts say.
Robert Downey Jr returns as the metal-suited Marvel superhero, in a sequel to the last "Iron Man" movie in 2010, but also playing off the back of last year's comic-book mega hit "The Avengers," which also featured him.
The film, starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Kingsley as well, has already made nearly $200 million around the world in the last week, and could earn a similar sum in its first weekend in North America.
"The summer firework show has already begun for most of the world. Disney's cash rocket... is expected to light up the box office with $165 million," said Jeff Bock, box office analyst at industry tracker Exhibitor Relations.
That may be short of the best opening weekend box office ever -- $207 million for "The Avengers" -- but it would be the biggest "Iron Man" debut after $98 million for the first one in 2008 and the second three years ago.
Downey Jr was in suitably relaxed mood when promoting the movie recently ahead of its US release, bantering with Paltrow, whose character's teasing romance with his reaches new levels in this movie.
"These guys are wimps, okay? The suit is not that bad," Paltrow said after Downey Jr and metal-clad co-star Don Cheadle complained about how heavy their suits were, and how much they had to wear them on set compared to Paltrow.
The "Iron Man" star shot back: "And Gwyneth by the way, she did come in and she was having a ball, and her kids were there and she was in rockin' shape, so it was all nice and easy. I think she wore it once or twice.
"It's an accumulative issue," he joked at a Beverly Hills press conference, before acknowledging: "I admit, we're wimps."
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