Why Iron Man 3's Fake Mandarin Has A Captain America Tattoo - CBR

Years later, Iron Man 3's Mandarin twist remains one of the boldest swings the Marvel Cinematic Universe has taken to date. Having cast Sir Ben Kingsley to portray the notorious villain, the movie pulls the rug out from under viewers' feet partway through, revealing that Kingsley's character is really Trevor Slattery, a bumbling actor masquerading as the ruthless leader of the Ten Rings terrorist organization. Slattery then returned in "All Hail the King," a Marvel One-Shot that further adds a curious link between the self-centered performer and The First Avenger into the mix.

"All Hail the King" catches up with Trevor in the wake of his arrest at the end of Iron Man 3, with the oblivious thespian having become a celebrity among his fellow inmates at Seagate Prison. One of the short film's first shots of the character is a closeup of the back of his neck, revealing none other than a tattoo of Captain America's iconic red, white, and blue shield. However, for as long as the camera lingers on it, the tattoo is ignored after that, as Trevor goes in for an interview with a documentary filmmaker who, it turns out, is really a member of the Ten Rings and servant to the actual Mandarin.

RELATED: Kevin Feige Still Loves Iron Man 3's Mandarin Twist

During a podcast interview with Empire Magazine in 2013, Iron Man 3 director Shane Black explained that Trevor's tattoo was part of the fake Mandarin design that the character's puppet master and the film's main antagonist, Advanced Idea Mechanics' vengeful founder Aldrich Killian, and his employees came up with. "[Trevor's Mandarin look is] very 'cobbled together'. [His tattoo is] essentially a Captain America shield with an anarchy symbol in the middle of it. It’s a corruption of America again," Black noted.

Trevor alludes to the anti-U.S. vibe of his Mandarin getup when Tony Stark tracks him down in Iron Man 3, explaining that Killian had him undergo plastic surgery to make him look more like a stereotypical terrorist in the vein of Osama bin Laden. Iron Man 3 co-writer Drew Pearce, who also wrote and directed "All Hail the King," described Trevor's tattoo as being an extension of this idea during the same interview with Empire.

"It was that brilliant kind of mash up vibe of, “How would a think tank create a terrorist?” And the way that they would do it in their own wanky way is to put together a mood board of all of the symbols of modern Western power. And I think post The Battle Of New York, Cap’s shield would be one of them," Pearce said.

RELATED: Loki Hides a Huge Iron Man 3 Reference

As shocking as Iron Man 3's Mandarin twist was, it also continued the MCU's trend of making the true threats in the Iron Man movies the powerful, wealthy American businessmen who, in their efforts to destroy Tony, employ subterfuge and/or hire others to do their dirty work for them. The third Iron Man film takes this a step further by making its version of the Mandarin a villain who's literally manufactured to exploit the public's fears of real-world terrorists, as a front to hide what Killian is up to.

While Trevor's Captain America tattoo didn't factor into the MCU until "All Hail the King," it's a key detail that goes to show just how much consideration Black and Pearce put into the character's return, making the One-Shot more than just a fun reunion with the wannabe star of the screen (although it's that as well). Whether any of this will come back into play when Trevor shows up in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings -- bringing him face to face with the bonafide Mandarin, Xu Wenwu -- remains to be seen.

CBR Report: Subscribe and never miss what matters

Our main newsletter packed with the latest updates, reviews and buzz from the worlds of movies, TV, anime, comics, and beyond. Get ready and let's dive in! Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

You can catch up with Trevor by streaming "All Hail the King" on Disney+. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings opens in theaters on Sept. 3.

RELATED: Which MCU Films to Watch Before Shang-Chi