MTV News Heads To The 'Iron Man' Set

Yesterday, I joined the ranks of the privileged few to step into the world of "Iron Man"...undoubtedly the most top-secret set in all of Hollywoodland. And at this moment, I'm thankful for the lone, three-letter word that can precisely sum up my thoughts: Wow.

If you're a comics geek like myself, you know that Tony Stark remains the greatest superhero to never get his own movie (until now); if you're simply a movies fan who enjoyed the "Spider-Man" and "X-Men" flicks -- well, just know that this is the blockbuster you'll be buzzing about in twelve months.

Robert Downey Jr. and Jeff Bridges were hanging around, watching Gwyneth Paltrow dance between takes. A kid-in-a-candy-store-like Jon Favreau ran from the sleek offices of Stark Enterprises to the Iraq cave that starts the story, checking on the progress of his sets. As a lifelong fan of the man in the red-and-yellow suit, I couldn't help but feel like my Nikes were treading on holy ground.

Favreau and the Marvel crew have created a self-contained superhero city on one of L.A.'s biggest soundstages. I've never seen a bigger set in my life, and there's so much in there: Stark Enterprises, the cave, the underground garage (packed with machinery and eye-popping autos) where Stark builds the suit, and so much more that Favreau and the crew need personalized bicycles to transport themselves between it all.

We snagged exclusive interviews with Favreau and Downey, some great B-roll of their footage, and tons of details about the sets. And then, in mid-interview, the affable actor/director unexpectedly whipped out THE HELMET, and turned it on for us!

Check back here tomorrow -- and on the movies section of MTV.com -- for the full report, including our in-depth write-up, exclusive videos from the set, and to find out what Downey and Favs had to say...such as their news-breaking revelation of the climactic scene that they claim will equal such classic moments as Indiana Jones vs. the boulder. Hopefully by then, I'll be able to come up with something to describe it that's all a little bit better than "Wow."

Tags gwyneth paltrow, iron man, jeff bridges, jon favreau, marvel, robert downey jr