The Mandarin has yet to make a proper debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he’s certainly made an improper debut thanks to Sir Ben Kingsley’s turn as Trevor Slattery in “Iron Man 3.” After months of analyzing and speculating about the differences between Kingsley’s Mandarin and the comic book Mandarin, the third “Iron Man” movie shattered all of those illusions with a late-game twist: The Mandarin was nothing more than a washed-up actor.
Now, Trevor is back with one more act, thanks to the new Marvel One-Shot short film called “All Hail the King,” debuting on next month’s “Thor: The Dark World” Blu-ray release. But you don’t have to wait until the end of February for your first look at Slattery’s return. Indeed, Marvel has already released the first official clip from “All Hail the King,” shedding light on the short film’s set-up.
The clip begins with narration from a reporter named Jackson Norris, played by “Argo” and “Killing Them Softly” actor Scoot McNairy. He speaks about how he’s about to embark on the most important day of his career: his final interview with “the most infamous prisoner in America, a man that the world thought was a terrorist known as ‘The Mandarin,’ but is now alleged to be nothing but an actor.”
“Thus far, the subject has been evasive, and apparently oblivious to the point of my work. In fact, he seems oblivious to pretty much everything, except his own growing celebrity — because now, the whole world knows his name,” says Norris. “This is my last chance to go beyond the lies and excuses, to confront the subject with elements of his own past in order to unlock the truth. Because we need to know once and for all: Who is Trevor Slattery?”
The clip then shows Kingsley as Slattery, still rocking his shaggy-haired Mandarin appearance, albeit with a new orange jumpsuit. Slattery walks the halls of Seagate (the very same prison that houses Luke Cage), and when he arrives at a common area, he makes an insightful observation.
“Bloody hell,” he deadpans. “It’s not exactly the Ritz, is it?”
Slattery will explore “not exactly the Ritz” even further when the full “All Hail the King” arrives on February 25.
What do you think of the Mandarin short?
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