After the new trailer for ‘Iron Man 3’ dropped, it appears that the embargo on set visit reports, interviews, stills, and all that jazz has been dropped as well. That’s why we’re suddenly getting an overabundance of news involving Tony Stark at the moment. But really, is that such a bad thing?

In one of the more interesting bits of news to emerge, Collider has released their interview with Robert Downey Jr., the man who has essentially become Armored Avenger on and off the big screen over the last few years. In this fairly in depth conversation with the man who launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he covers a variety of topics such as more movies in the suit, the type of villain Iron Man is facing this time around, and his contract situation moving forward. While I won’t give you everything, here are some highlights from the interview.

First, a huge question that has been looming above the head of ‘Iron Man 3’ is ‘What about the Avengers?’ Well, everyone’s been making it clear that somehow Tony gets cut off from them. While I’m curious about how that happens, RDJ touches on the next step after ‘The Avengers’ and bringing it back to the individual characters:

Well, we had to do something, you know? I thought, “Isn’t it odd that he had this experience? And why was he suddenly just in New York for one summer?” We know why he was there. Stark Tower. But what he was doing there was really building an architect for a third act set piece. I wanted him back home and I thought, “What if that happened to any of us? Wouldn’t we be a little tripped out? You’d be watching your back.” Then I thought about this 21st century reality and kind of oddball zeitgeist of America and terrorism and all the weirdo stuff that this country seems to generate and co-create. So I thought should be a little freaked out. We always had this idea where we wanted Tony and Rhodey to be at this place two miles away from where his house is called Neptune’s Net on the PCH. I really wanted to see them at Neptune’s Net with their suits just parked outside like motorcycles. They’re inside and just two guys. I didn’t even know if we could get Neptune’s Net. There’s licensing. It’s like saying, “Let’s go shoot at Spago!” I was like, “Is it? Did you ask them?” I wanted that kind of sensibility and so did Shane. We both wanted them just sitting on a couch with a martini. I go, “A martini? Hold on now!” “Alright! Just sitting on the couch. Pepper comes home. There he is.” Shane had all these iconic images and I had my own. The studio and Kevin [Feige] had an equal amount of theirs. It turned into this really surprising and entertaining and really deep and cool movie.

Speaking of the next step, Downey says that ‘Iron Man 3’ lays the groundwork for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe more so than any of the other films he’s been in for the House of Ideas:

Yeah, more than any of the other three that I’ve been involved in. It seems to be very uninhibited. I’m just not used to working this way. Fortunately, Shane and all the other creatives and myself banged out a story that, quote unquote “earned” it. We had “The Avengers” and had something where we all loved how it turned out. We thought, “Let’s not get indulgent now, but let’s go back to Tony and Pepper”. It was also really, really great to have Happy come back. Jon [Favreau] was just so great. He was standing on the set and we had designed this workshop. He says, “All I have to do is put on a suit and crack jokes. This is going to be great.” He’s actually very integral to the story and all that stuff. But it is true, this one is Tony’s journey from A to Z, chasing the bad guy. It’s a bad guy who draws him out to places that he’s never been before and I think that that was what was attractive to Shane. He said, “I’d like to see him crashing in mid-America. I’d like to see him interacting with some kid who kind of doesn’t really relate to him as anything but Iron Man.

Finally, the actor discusses the differences between working with old ‘Iron Man’ director Jon Favreau and new director Shane Black:

They’re very similar. You also can’t really work with one without reaching out the other. Jon and I reached out to Shane on several occasions and Shane definitely would refer back to Jon on a lot of stuff. Jon has an incredible sense of showmanship and Shane is much more kind of introverted. When he does become ectomorphic, it’s very entertaining. For instance, we were night shooting and he just went running across this thing. He caught his head on something and dislocated his shoulder. He just sat there and we were like, “Well, back into the emergency vehicle.” He was like, “Just two more shots! I’ll stay, I’ll stay!” I said, “You have to go to the hospital.” Jon is very smooth and Shane is a little more like myself and a bit spiky at times. But I’ve also changed. There’s the Jon that directed the first “Iron Man” and the Jon that directed the second one and the Jon that has done all the things he’s done. What I’m really happy about is that, as things have changed, that Shane has stepped in and run with this obviously fantastic opportunity. I’m just so comforted that nobody has suffered for all of it, including the franchises and the movies themselves. Jon and I have offices across the street from one another. Shane and I are still speaking. It’s a nice relationship, you know? Again, I think it’s a testament to Kevin and the real central people at Marvel. They’re very, very thoughtful about their choices.

The whole interview is really a great read, so you should go back to the source and read the whole thing. Just like Tony Stark’s leadership and drive, Robert Downey Jr. has the ability to get us all extremely stoked for what’s to come for Marvel Studios.

What are you most looking forward to in ‘Iron Man 3’? Has RDJ adequately psyched you up? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

‘Iron Man 3’ starring Robert Downey Jr., Ben Kingsley, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Rebecca Hall, and Guy Pearce opens on May 3, 2013.