'Iron Man 2': Body counts, falling posters, tattoos and Meta Fast

The highly anticipated "Iron Man 2" junket, which had been moved from London to Los Angeles at the last minute due to the volcanic ash air travel threat, was a pretty entertaining affair.

From jokes to sexual innuendos to more jokes and the sudden collapse of a large movie poster behind the cast and filmmakers, there was never a dull moment at the Four Seasons Hotel Friday (Apr. 23).

 And it all served to illustrate how much fun it must have been on the set of this sequel to the wildly successful superhero blockbuster.

Here's a few highlights:

How would "Iron Man 2" be different if the female characters of Pepper Potts and the Black Widow ruled the world?

"The body count would be much different, less bloody", says Gwyneth Paltrow. "And more organized," adds Scarlett Johansson, "We'd stack them."

What other roles has Robert Downey Jr. been offered? Is there any truth to the buzz that he was offered the lead in "The Vampire Lestat"? 

"Just imagine that everything is offered to me," RDJ joked. "'Precious 2'?"  asked Don Cheadle.

Did RDJ ever dress up like a super hero when he was a kid? "When I was a kid, no. In Palm Springs, in my 30s, right before an arrest, yes."

How did they come up with Mickey Rourke's "Iron Man 2" look? "It was a combination of Viggo Mortensen from "Eastern Promises" and Marv from "The Wrestler," explained director Jon Favreau.

Why is Sam Rockwell not at the junket? But more importantly, why is he not on the poster? "That's contractual," someone, and we're not sure who, explained.

Describing Favreau's physical deterioration during the filming, RDJ remarked how  slender the director (who also plays Happy Hogan, Tony  Stark's trusted driver/bodyguard) was at the start of the shoot, then came the "Meta Fast" middle of the movie, and finally, "at the end, they were framing him out of shots."

An exasperated Favreau shot back. "Give me a dollar and a towel. And at least walk me to the door."

Later, when the "Iron Man 2" poster behind the talent and filmmakers fell down rather like a paper curtain, Downey Jr., shouted, "Ladies and gentlemen, Sam Rockwell!" then he wrapped the poster around himself while a helplessly laughing Paltrow tried to answer the final question.

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"Iron Man 2": trailer

Photo credit: Elizabeth Snead