Beyond being named after an iconic comic book storyline, the upcoming TV show-turned-movie Armor Wars is still relatively under wraps. In many ways, it's essentially Iron Man 4, which makes sense given that Armor Wars and Armor Wars 2 were stories from Iron Man comic books. One big change is that the movie version won't involve Tony Stark, but it can still do right by his broader mythos.
Even in the comics, Iron Man's Rogues' Gallery doesn't quite get the respect that it deserves. That was especially the case in the movies, where several foes saw wholesale, unnecessary changes. With the concept of Armor Wars likely bringing many of these enemies into the fold, the Marvel Cinematic Universe can finally give Iron Man's armored enemies a big-time upgrade.
Armor Wars Requires a Bevy of Iron Man Villains
The premise of the storyline from David Michelinie's Armor Wars had Tony Stark's armored technology falling into the hands of several former enemies. This sees him facing off against Titanium Man and Firepower, two enemies with armor similar to his own. One of the men behind this scheme was none other than Justin Hammer, a business rival of Stark's who is the main benefactor of armored adversaries of his. Though Tony Stark may be dead in the MCU, this basic premise could easily be replicated.
Justin Hammer was introduced in Iron Man 2, with actor Sam Rockwell willing to return to the role. Likewise, him being the reason that former Stark technology goes missing would make sense now more than ever, as Tony Stark's death would allow Hammer to truly replace him as he had tried in his debut. Other villains would need to be utilized for Armor Wars to truly capture the scope of the source material, and this is where the unofficial "fourth" Iron Man movie can truly shine.
Iron Man's Best Villains Have All Been Poorly Adapted
With the exception of Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger in Iron Man, none of Iron Man's villains have been given the fidelity or great writing that on-screen enemies of Spider-Man or the X-Men have. Even Stane had huge changes from the comics, and the loose adaptations of the other villains aren't confined only to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Perhaps due to the character being a firm B-lister for most of his existence, various adaptations of Iron Man have done a rather poor job with his villains. This includes changing them beyond recognition or simply writing them as goofy shmucks.
The former can be seen in Iron Man 2 randomly combining Whiplash and Crimson Dynamo into one character, and the less said about how the MCU handled The Mandarin -- Iron Man's biggest foe -- the better. Likewise, the cartoon appearances of this Rogues' Gallery, namely Iron Man: The Animated Series, rendered them as ineffectual, slapstick and downright lame compared to the portrayals of Magneto, Apocalypse, Venom and Kraven in other Marvel cartoons.
Needless to say, Iron Man's enemies need a win and a great portrayal to truly put both them and the Iron Man property into the A-list. Doing so in a movie without Iron Man himself would cement the property's longevity, all the while making Tony Stark's legacy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that much stronger. It would also be an ironic reversal of fortune, as Iron Man 2 was once criticized for having Iron Man fight another armored villain. If Armor Wars introduces well-written versions of Titanium Man, Firepower or even a true Crimson Dynamo, it could provide not only a great Iron Man villain but also do so for the MCU as a whole, which is still somewhat lacking in noteworthy antagonists. If nothing else, simply bringing these villains' armors into the shared universe would do wonders in giving Iron Man's enemies as much iconography as him, even if he's not there to face them. Similarly, it could see Justin Hammer go from joke to major threat, making Iron Man's absence even more unfortunate.