"Lesson No. 1: Heroes, there's no such thing," says a menacing Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin in the first trailer for Iron Man 3. On Friday, Marvel debuted a striking image of Robert Downey Jr.'s rival in the latest poster for the tentpole comic-book film.

VIDEO: First 'Iron Man 3' Trailer Reveals Darker Take on the Marvel Hero

A bearded Kingsley is decked out in military fatigues, staring straight ahead as incense burns in the background. In the comic-book universe, the Mandarin is a villain who finds alien-made rings and uses them as a weapon. 

The film, the follow-up to The Avengers, finds Tony Stark still reeling from having to fend off interplanetary invaders in New York with his all-star superhero team. The billionaire industrialist finds himself fighting "an enemy whose reach knows no bounds," according to the official synopsis. 

Iron Man 3 will be released in the U.S. on May 3.