Marvel Releases First Official ‘Iron Man 3′ Image

Enough with the unofficial rumors of villains, cameo appearances and unnamed actors! Marvel Studios have released the first official pic from the set of Iron Man 3, and if you're the sort of person who can't decide what to wear each morning, you might find yourself sympathizing with what's seemingly going on in Tony Stark's armory... Click through for the full image.

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It's unclear whether the figure in the image is actually star Robert Downey Jr., a stand-in or someone else altogether -- Will one of the movie's many rumored villains find their way into Stark's inner sanctum at some point? -- but the increasing amount of armors on show not only point to the possibility of a new suit of armor or two being introduced into the Marvel movieverse, but a production design that's clearly familiar with the 1980s era of the character. Given the swirling rumors of an Extremis-based storyline in the film, Tony Stark's next suit may have much less in common with his current selection of armors. He may need it, too, considering potential villain Iron Patriot seems to be rocking a repainted version of his Mark VII getup.

The press release accompanying the photograph reports that "production on the highly anticipated film Iron Man 3, directed by Shane Black, has commenced in Wilmington, North Carolina," adding that the movie will be shot in locations including Raleigh/Durham, NC; Miami, Florida; and China before being released in theaters on May 3 of 2013.