Iron Man 3 Stills Show Robert Downey Jr In Full Armour (Pictures)

It's been a big week for fans of Iron Man 3, with a brand new TV spot airing during the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, confirmation that Gywneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts will be suiting up alongside Robert Downey Jr and, now, some brand new stills from Marvel's new movie. The Avengers destroyed box-office records this summer, though Downey Jr's return as Tony Stark could make it another huge year for the studio. This time, Mr Stark is up against a brand-new foe in Ben Kingsley's Mandarin, his toughest test to date.

Paltrow's Potts is the most prominent of the supporting cast and rumors that she'd be donning a suit of armour of her own were confirmed in this week's new TV spot. Speculation first emerged after images of LEGO's new Iron Man 3 series were leaked online, showing a female character in an Iron Man-esque suit. In the promo, Potts lands on-top of Stark in a protective stance, saying, "I got you." It appears as though the new movie follows Pepper's storyline in the 'Invincible Iron Man' comic book series, in which she took on the hero name Rescue and helped Tony Stark's alter-ego on his missions.

Stark appears to have let his confidence grow and grow since Iron Man 2, and says in a voiceover in the latest clip, "It's moments like these that I realize what a super hero I am." Even Pepper couldn't stop herself letting out a "Wow."

In the latest batch of stills from the movie, Tony Stark is seen plotting his next mission and standing proud next to Don Cheadle's character James Rhodes/War Machine. In perhaps the most intriguing of stills, an on-set photo sees Downey Jr staring at six gleaming Iron Man suits as a crew member gets ready to indicate the start of the scene.

Iron Man 3, also starring Paul Bettany, Guy Pearce and Rebecca Hall, hits cinemas in May 3, 2013.

Watch the Iron Man 3 alternate trailer: