You Know Who He Is: Stark Naked
He’s been in charge of one of the world’s biggest companies since he was twenty-one. Now about to turn forty, Tony Stark talks to Sid Franken about redemption, resurrection, and handing over the reins.
Tony Stark carries with him a gleaming gold and red suitcase.
It remains next to his chair during our entire interview. You might expect he’d be nervous, leaving something so uniquely valuable out of sight, but he never once glances over or reaches down to ensure it’s still there. “Trust me,” he says, following my gaze. “You’ll know if somebody tries to steal it”. He claims it’s obsolete, that he only carries it with him because he’s afraid his CEO will ‘fire’ him if he doesn’t. He picks through his pockets, and pulls out a stick of gum and what looks like a flash drive. It’s monogrammed with the Stark Industries logo and a stylized icon of the Iron Man helmet, gleaming a cool metallic blue in the mid-morning light coming through the conference room window.
Stark looks up from the surface of the table and raises his eyebrows.
“Hope you don’t mind me making my own recording,” he says, not at all asking, and I nod.
Stark, despite no longer being the CEO of the company that facilitated his rise to infamy, is still the head of Stark Research and Development. And he knows an opportunity when he sees it. “There’s a whole line of Iron Man merchandise now, action figures, phones, and of course, this wee baby here.” He taps at the device. “But Pepper says I can’t tell you what it is, because it’s not out yet… and to be honest I kind of like screwing with you.”
Our interview is taking place in the conference facilities of what most New Yorkers will know as the MetLife building, recently acquired by Mr Stark’s company. When I ask him about the motivation behind the purchase, Stark claims ignorance. “Ask Potts, she made the deal. I just signed on the dotted line.” He grins and takes a sip from his stainless steel water bottle. “When that woman tells you to do something, you do it.”
Full transcript below the cut