When the first Iron Man 3 trailer debuted last month, some fans thought that the series was shifting to a darker tone, similar to director Christopher Nolan's Batman series that culiminated this summer with The Dark Knight Rises. Marvel Studios executive and Iron Man 3 producer Kevin Feige revealed that this superhero sequel is not a "serious" movie, but it will go in a different direction.

"It's not a serious movie, but we seriously dig into exploring more of Tony. The trick is just trying to make great movies. We try to make them all great, all different and all fresh. What you'll see in Iron Man 3 is some very unique directions that were taken."

Director Shane Black also revealed that he isn't trying to make a bigger superhero movie with this sequel.

"We're not aiming for bigger, necessarily. We're aiming for different and fresh and new. It's all about capturing that lightning-in-a-bottle feel, about trying to get as much into this as we can. We're looking to get a ton of thrills into a short space, to make a nice little stew for you."

Franchise star Robert Downey Jr. also chimed in, comparing the intangible qualities that worked in Marvel's The Avengers to this movie.

"You can dissect why it was the right movie with the right people and the right director at the time. But we feel the same way about Iron Man 3 now."