Iron Man 3 is expected to go in front of the camera in a few weeks, and a press release has been issued by Marvel Studios stating that the movie will be co-produced in China, confirming that a part of the film will be shot there. This hints towards the long awaited appearance of The Mandarin, a major threat to Iron Man in the comics, a villain foreshadowed in the first movie through the Ten Rings, the group that captures Tony Stark at the movie's beginning (The Mandarin is most known for wielding ten rings, which give him different powers, including mind control and energy projection). Before leaving the production, original director Jon Faverau had said he wanted to finally introduce The Mandarin, but those plans seemed to change when new director Shane Black came onboard. While the plot of Iron Man 3 has not been confirmed, it is expected to involve Iron Man tackling a virus comprised of nano-machines.
The full press release can be seen here.
