SpaceX's Elon Musk Was Inspired By 'Iron Man' To Create This Invention

Elon Musk has shown an interest in 3D printing for years, including utilizing the technology in order to further space travel. Always on the cutting-edge of innovation, fans of the entrepreneur may wonder where he gets his inspiration for his many imaginative ideas. Thanks to a new interview with director Jon Favreau, people can now get a glimpse inside the mind of the engineer.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Favreau met Musk while the filmmaker was working on "Iron Man." This introduction led the inventor to entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe and eventually starring in "Iron Man 2," along with his company, SpaceX. In fact, a specific scene in "Iron Man" was what inspired Musk to invent his 3D printer.

"If you remember when Robert Downey is designing the Iron Man suit, he sticks his arm into a hologram and moves it around. [Musk] had his people build that 3D printing system based on manipulating holograms because he saw that in the movie," Favreau revealed.

Additionally, he revealed in the interview how he believes Musk views the creation and storytelling process as a whole.

"He understands storytelling, whether it's in how he makes presentations or what he gravitates toward. When he wants to explain things, it's often by referencing something that has appeared in fiction. Whether you're making movies or whether you're selling an idea of the future, the best way to demonstrate it for the most people to understand it is through a good fable, a good story," the actor also shared.

As for how Musk himself views the invention process, in a 2016 interview for Y Combinator he shared that he doesn't think it always has to be done as a means to make a huge initial impact. "If it has a small amount of good for a large number of people, I think that's fine. Stuff doesn't need to change the world just to be good."