Iron Man has become the first Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film to be added to the National Film Registry of the Library in Congress.
According to a press release issued by Marvel, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced the annual selection of 25 influential motion pictures had included the 2008 hit film that launched the MCU.
“Films have become absolutely central to American culture by helping tell our national story for more than 125 years.
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"We are proud to add 25 more films by a group of vibrant and diverse filmmakers to the National Film Registry as we preserve our cinematic heritage,” Hayden said.
“We’re grateful to the entire film community for collaborating with the Library of Congress to ensure these films are preserved for the future.”
Marvel boss Kevin Feige was elated by the decision, as it indicates the flick has cemented itself into American cinematic history.
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“Iron Man was the very first film Marvel Studios independently produced. It was the first film that we had all of the creative control and oversight on and it was really make or break for the studio."
"All of our favorite movies are the ones that we watch over and over again and that we grow up with.”
He continued: “The notion that here we are, almost 15 years after the release of Iron Man, and to have it join the Film Registry tells us it has stood the test of time and that it is still meaningful to audiences around the world.”
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However, Iron Man is not the only superhero film a part of the registry as The Dark Knight and 1978’s Superman have also been included.
As of December 14, 2022, there have been 850 films inducted into the National Film registry.
According to the Library of Congress, to qualify, a film must be at least 10 years old and ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant’.
When the registry was first set up in 1989, there were more than 1,000 public submissions for the list.
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However, this year, a staggering 6,865 titles were submitted for consideration.
Other films that also made it onto the 2022 list include The Little Mermaid, Carrie, Hairspray, When Harry Met Sally, Attica and Super Fly.
Topics: Film and TV, News, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Iron Man