Iron Man season 1
| Iron Man | |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | |
| File:Iron Man season 1 poster.png Promotional poster | |
| Showrunner | Jackson Greene |
| Starring |
|
| No. of episodes | 23 |
| Release | |
| Original network | HBO Max |
| Original release | March 12 – August 20, 2026 |
| Season chronology | |
Iron Man is the first season of the American television series based on the Marvel Comics character Tony Stark / Iron Man, developed by Jackson Greene for HBO Max as the foundation of a new standalone live-action Marvel universe produced independently from any prior film continuity. The season premiered on March 12, 2026, and concluded on August 20, 2026, consisting of 23 episodes.
The series follows Tony Stark as he rebuilds his company, confronts government distrust, battles rival weapons manufacturers, and encounters an emerging wave of technologically enhanced criminals. Unlike previous adaptations, this version of Iron Man exists in a separate continuity with no connection to any film universe.
Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark, alongside Gwyneth Paltrow, Jacob Tremblay, Sam Rockwell, Rila Fukushima, and Lance Reddick. The season uses a traditional serialized format, balancing episodic threats with long-form storytelling.
The show was renewed for a second season in August 2026.
Premise
Following a catastrophic weapons demonstration that nearly kills him, Tony Stark returns home determined to reinvent both himself and Stark Industries. As he secretly constructs advanced armor to stop technological threats that his company once helped create, Tony faces mounting pressure from the U.S. government, a rising paramilitary competitor led by Justin Hammer, and a mysterious assassin targeting Stark executives.
While juggling his new double life as Iron Man, Tony must navigate corporate sabotage, espionage, and his own worsening health crisis caused by the arc reactor in his chest.
Cast and characters
Main cast
- Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man
- Gwyneth Paltrow as Virginia "Pepper" Potts
- Jacob Tremblay as Nathaniel "Nate" Stark, Tony’s teenage nephew
- Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer
- Rila Fukushima as Akira Mori, Stark Industries’ cyber-security chief
- Lance Reddick as Director Marcus Hall, head of the Strategic Threat Bureau (STB)
Recurring cast
- Giancarlo Esposito as Dr. Conrad Mallus
- Manny Jacinto as Eric Doyle, STB field agent
- Pom Klementieff as Ghost (season antagonist)
- Edi Gathegi as Obsidian, Hammer’s augmented enforcer
- Ava Russo as Clara Dawson, an investigative journalist
Guest cast
- Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery
- Tim Blake Nelson as Dr. Maxwell Grant
- Ariana Greenblatt as Lia Morgan
- Don Cheadle as Colonel Rhodes (pilot only)
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | US viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "A New Arc" | Jackson Greene | Jackson Greene | March 12, 2026 | IM01 | |
| 2 | 2 | "Ghost in the Circuit" | Mira Silverleaf | Celeste Hart | March 19, 2026 | IM02 | |
| 3 | 3 | "Weapons of Tomorrow" | Finnian Hawke | Nathan Bright | March 26, 2026 | IM03 | |
| 4 | 4 | "Power Surge" | Orion Kestrel | Georgiana Valentine | April 2, 2026 | IM04 | |
| 5 | 5 | "The Reactor Job" | Dorian Ashwood | Oliver Greenwood | April 9, 2026 | IM05 | |
| 6 | 6 | "Silent Running" | Jasper Nightingale | Clara Redwood | April 16, 2026 | IM06 | |
| 7 | 7 | "Red Sky Directive" | Kael Mirewood | Benjamin Knowles | April 23, 2026 | IM07 | |
| 8 | 8 | "Firewall" | Sara Case | Ethan Morland | April 30, 2026 | IM08 | |
| 9 | 9 | "Hammer Industries" | Freddie Goodwin | Jackson Greene | May 7, 2026 | IM09 | |
| 10 | 10 | "Echo Protocol" | Orion Kestrel | Celeste Hart | May 14, 2026 | IM10 | |
| 11 | 11 | "Breach" | Finnian Hawke | Georgiana Valentine | May 21, 2026 | IM11 | |
| 12 | 12 | "Shrapnel" | Mira Silverleaf | Nathan Bright | May 28, 2026 | IM12 | |
| 13 | 13 | "Unmasked" | Celeste Starfall | Oliver Greenwood | June 4, 2026 | IM13 | |
| 14 | 14 | "Crosslines" | Jasper Nightingale | Clara Redwood | June 11, 2026 | IM14 | |
| 15 | 15 | "Legacy Run" | Damon Rourke | Sara Case | June 18, 2026 | IM15 | |
| 16 | 16 | "Core Collapse" | Dorian Ashwood | Benjamin Knowles | June 25, 2026 | IM16 | |
| 17 | 17 | "Ghost Protocol" | Sara Case | Ethan Morland | July 2, 2026 | IM17 | |
| 18 | 18 | "Armorbreaker" | Orion Kestrel | Clara Redwood | July 9, 2026 | IM18 | |
| 19 | 19 | "Fall of Hammer, Part 1" | Freddie Goodwin | Jackson Greene | July 16, 2026 | IM19 | |
| 20 | 20 | "Fall of Hammer, Part 2" | Freddie Goodwin | Jackson Greene | July 23, 2026 | IM20 | |
| 21 | 21 | "Iron Legacy" | Finnian Hawke | Georgiana Valentine | July 30, 2026 | IM21 | |
| 22 | 22 | "The Cost of Genius" | Mira Silverleaf | Celeste Hart | August 6, 2026 | IM22 | |
| 23 | 23 | "A Future Forged" | Jackson Greene | Jackson Greene | August 20, 2026 | IM23 |
Production
Development
HBO Max ordered Iron Man in early 2025 as the flagship series of a new, standalone live-action Marvel television universe with no narrative connection to any previous films. Jackson Greene served as showrunner and executive producer.
Writing
The writers’ room structured the season in a classic 2010s network-style serialized format. The main story arc centers on Tony’s rebuilding of Stark Industries, Justin Hammer’s escalating paramilitary ambitions, and the emergence of the villain Ghost.
Filming
Production took place from July 2025 to March 2026 in Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Tokyo.
Release
The season premiered on March 12, 2026, and concluded on August 20, 2026.