The Iron Man has had to cede to the Iron Lady after it was confirmed that the London premiere for Iron Man 3 is to be delayed by a day to allow the funeral of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to go ahead.

The premiere of the Robert Downey Jr-starring film was scheduled to be held in London next Wednesday, April 17th, however since the death of Baroness Thatcher this week, it’s been forced to change, with a funeral procession taking place in central London finishing with the service itself at St. Paul’s Cathedral, expected to be attended by past and present US and UK leaders as well as many others. Downey Jr and Gwyneth Paltrow are still expected to walk the red carpet in spite of the switch at Leicester Square.

There is huge concern within the ranks of British officials about the potential for fall out during the procession and funeral, with Thatcher one of the most divisive leaders of the UK in its history. Running the country from 1979 to 1990, she bore the ire of the working class by disbanding the workers unions and pushing industry and services towards privatisation, putting thousands out of work and in many Northern communities, devastating their towns with the subsequent unemployment. There are several reports suggesting that there could be cases of civil unrest next Wednesday, with London on tenterhooks for any trouble.

Margaret ThatcherMargaret Thatcher's death on Monday means the postponement of the Iron Man 3 premiere