There are thieves on the loose in Los Angeles. The red and gold suit worn by Robert Downey Jr. in the first Iron Man film is missing from a prop storage facility. The LAPD reports they are looking for any information regarding the theft.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Tony Stark’s original Iron Man suit was stolen from the storage facility at some point between February and April 25, 2018. The costume is reported to be worth $325,000. The facility is located at the 13000 block of Weidner Street in the Pacoima neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The missing suit appeared in the 2008 Iron Man film that kickstarted the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Just as Robert Downey Jr.’s character, Tony Stark, upgraded his Iron Man suits as the film series progressed, the actual costume underwent cosmetic changes as well. The original suit going missing is still a significant blow to Marvel’s cinematic legacy. Employees in the storage facility checked in on the suit and reported it missing on Tuesday.
Nothing else was missing from the warehouse, and the owner of the facility was not named to the public.
The LA Times article mentions that Los Angeles is a hot bed for high cost comic book thefts. In 2001, original copies of Action Comics #1 and Detective Comics #27 – the debut appearances of Superman and Batman – were stolen from the home of actor Nicholas Cage.
The Superman comic, which is valued at $1.5 million, was later recovered. The Batman comic is still missing. No one was charged in the theft.
Since Iron Man‘s release in 2008, the MCU has become one of the biggest blockbuster franchises of all time. The latest release, Avengers: Infinity War, shattered box office records, releasing to the biggest opening weekend ever. Although Tony Stark could always just put together another suit, the Los Angeles Police Department has requested that anyone with information on the missing suit let them know.