Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man 3 is perhaps the least talked-about movie in the Iron Man trilogy. However, Shane Black’s film is an underrated gem, especially when it comes to character-driven storytelling and poignant moments. One such moment in the film features Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts holding the Iron Man helmet, lamenting Tony’s presumed death. According to writer Drew Pearce, the scene serves as a tribute to the late Formula 1 racer Ayrton Senna.
Senna met a tragic end during the San Marino Grand Prix in Italy in 1994 when his car collided with a concrete wall at high speed. One sad moment from the racer’s funeral caught the attention of Pearce, who wrote it into the film as a homage.
Fans Might Have Missed This Tribute To Ayrton Senna In Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man 3
Robert Downey Jr.‘s Iron Man 3 incorporated a tribute to the late Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna in one of its scenes. Senna’s tragic car crash occurred while he was leading the San Marino Gran Prix in the seventh lap. The incident happened a day after fellow driver Roland Ratzenberger met a similar fate when he struck a concrete wall during the second qualifying session. Senna had intended to discuss improvements to the sport’s safety after his race that day.
At Senna’s funeral, his signature yellow helmet, designed after the Brazilian flag, was handed over to his sister Viviane Senna. She kissed the helmet and broke down in tears. This heartbreaking moment was later written into Iron Man 3 by scriptwriter Drew Pearce, where Gwyneth Paltrow‘s Pepper Potts mourns the presumed death of Tony Stark.
The tribute scene was also included in the trailer for the film released on March 5, 2013. While promoting the film’s trailer, Pearce took to Twitter (now X) to share the backstory behind this particular scene. He wrote in a tweet, “Dark fact from the #IronMan3 trailer: Pepper holding the helmet against her head was inspired by the scene of his wife [correction: sister] doing the same thing at his funeral….”
In another tweet, Pearce added that he came across the moment in the documentary Senna, which explored the life of “this brilliant and inspiring pilot.” The film, directed by Asif Kapadia, showed archival racetrack footage, home video clips, retrospective video interviews, and the televised funeral.
Not Only Robert Downey Jr., But Chris Evans Also Paid Tribute To The Legend
Chris Evans’ Captain America: The Winter Soldier included an Easter Egg scene where Steve Rogers jotted down all the things he missed during his period of hibernation. Little do fans know that the list was different for the film’s release in different countries. In the Brazilian version of Captain America 2, Ayrton Senna holds the top spot on the list of things Steve Rogers missed.
While Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man 3 paid homage to Senna through a recreated emotional scene, Captain America took a different approach. Placing Senna as the first Brazilian subject that Steve Rogers should learn about is a sweet tribute to the racer. In his legendary career, Senna won a total of 41 Grand Prix and three Championship wins in the years 1988, 1990, and 1991.
Iron Man 3, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and all other Marvel films are now available for streaming on Disney+.
