Iron Man 3 will kick off Marvel’s Phase Two in the spring, and in the past twenty-four hours, we’ve seen the brilliant sneak peek at the teaser trailer, as well as a handful of new images, which offer some interesting possibilities for the Iron Patriot rumours that have been circling for months.

With the teaser trailer set to drop in full tomorrow, the first teaser poster has now been released, and it’s absolutely awesome.

“Marvel Studios’ Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?”

Robert Downey, Jr. takes the lead once more as Tony Stark / Iron Man, alongside Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale, Jon Favreau, and Ben Kingsley, with Paul Bettany expected to reprise his role as the voice of JARVIS.

Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) has taken over the helm in Favreau’s place, directing from a script he co-wrote with rising new talent, Drew Pearce.

Iron Man 3 will be out in 3D on 26th April, 2013 in the UK, followed by a 3rd May release in the US. We can’t wait, and the odds are pretty good you’re every bit as excited as we are. For now, here’s the brilliant first poster, which you can click to enlarge.