Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr is synonymous to not only the role of Tony Stark or Iron Man, but the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe itself. The MCU started with the 2008 film Iron Man, which launched the franchise into the highly-successful venture that it is. However, the actor was almost not cast in the iconic role. Instead, Marvel Studios was eyeing another superstar Tom Cruise. However luckily for Downey, Cruise rejected the role because he did not think that the franchise would work out.
In a throwback interview, Cruise had opened up about being offered the role of Iron Man. He said, “They came to me at a certain point and, when I do something, I wanna do it right. If I commit to something, it has to be done in a way that I know it’s gonna be something special. And as it was lining up, it just didn’t feel to me like it was gonna work. I need to be able to make decisions and make the film as great as it can be, and it just didn’t go down that road that way.”
During the early 2000s Tom Cruise was one of the biggest stars, with hit films like Top Gun, Mission Impossible and Jerry McGuire. On the other hand, Robert Downey Jr was struggling with alcohol and drug addiction, and was even arrested for drug possession.
In fact, Marvel Studios was determined to not cast Downey in the part of Tony Stark. Jon Favreau, who directed the Iron Man films and acted in them as Happy Hogan, fought relentlessly for his casting. In a Rolling Stone interview, Favreau recollected telling Downey that he was giving up on his efforts to cast him. However, the actor said that he will still hold out hope. Eventually the studios relented tp Favreau’s efforts. They were still skeptical of his casting, reportedly paying Terrence Howard, who played Rhodey, a higher fee than their star.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is now a multi-billion dollar franchise. With 24 films and three series, the franchise is currently on its critically acclaimed Phase 4. Downey was last seen as Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame, where his character sacrificed his life to save the universe from Thanos. He will also be seen as a voice actor in the upcoming animated Marvel series What If?
On the other hand, Tom Cruise will be next seen in Mission Impossible 7 and Top Gun: Maverick.
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