Marvel's Kevin Feige Reveals Why Tom Cruise Didn't Play Iron Man. Tom Cruise was once considered for the role of Tony Stark/Iron Man; however, Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige says the actor's asking fee was too high.
In the end, it didn't happen, as we could see. “I love Tom Cruise, and I said to Kevin Feige at one point, I was like, 'Could we get Tom Cruise's Iron Man?” he added. “I just don't think it was ever an option, because of availability.” Feige reportedly replied.
Dealing with his best friend's death and his newfound freedom, Armor Wars can turn Rhodey into more than a supporting character and a worthy Iron Man-like hero in his own right. On the other side of things is a young Iron Man replacement: gifted MIT student Riri Williams aka Ironheart.
However, Tom Cruise decided to decline the offer, leaving Marvel and fans stunned. Cruise cited various reasons for his decision, including his commitment to other projects, concerns about the long-term commitment required for a franchise, and a desire to maintain creative control over his work.
Cruise was also heavily rumored to play an Iron Man variant thanks to the multiverse in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which did not end up happening. While the actor has yet to join the MCU, there are many different roles in Marvel's slate of projects that are perfectly suited for Cruise.
Film Theory: Why Iron Man is the WORST Avenger! (Marvel)
Is there Iron Man 4 coming?
"Tony Stark's story is far from over," Downey said. "Iron Man 4 will explore new dimensions of the character and his legacy through the eyes of Morgan.
Iron Man 4 never materialized, and while no official reason has been given, it was likely a combination of several factors. Tony Stark's role in team-up movies outweighed the need for a fourth Iron Man solo film in the MCU.
Several other actors, including Tom Cruise, Nicholas Cage, and Hugh Jackman, were considered for the role of Iron Man.
Other potential candidates for Iron Man included Timothy Olyphant, Matthew McConaughey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sam Rockwell, Johnny Depp, Jon Hamm, and Rob Lowe.
Marvel head Kevin Feige refuted the claim it was mulling over bringing Iron Man back. Speaking with Vanity Fair, Feige said Marvel Studios could not “magically undo” Tony Stark's death in Avengers: Endgame. “We are going to keep that moment and not touch that moment again,” Feige told Vanity Fair.
Kevin Feige has said in no uncertain terms that Marvel will not be reversing Iron Man's death from Avengers: Endgame. Feige made it clear that Iron Man's death was a moment that represented years of hard work behind the scenes, and that he would not want to change anything about it.
Don Cheadle's James Rhodes, better known as Rhodey, is reportedly set to take on the mantle of Iron Man in the upcoming MCU film 'Armor Wars', slated for a 2026 release. This development was revealed in the series 'Secret Invasion', where it was also shown that Rhodey had been replaced by a Skrull in the past.
Kevin Feige is the president of the Marvel Studios and he has made it clear in the past that they will not bring back Iron Man to the MCU as they are “going to keep that moment and not touch that moment again.” Robert as Tony Stark /Iron Man is considered the pioneer of the MCU.
His decision to pass on the role was influenced by creative concerns and, according to Kevin Feige, financial considerations, as Cruise's asking fee exceeded what the studio was willing to risk on an untested superhero property.
Key Takeaways. Tom Cruise has an estimated net worth of $600 million as of 2023, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Cruise's Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One hit theaters on July 12, and earned close to $16 million at the box office on opening day.
Casting Captain America was a challenge for Marvel as the character didn't have much recognition and seemed outdated. Jensen Ackles, Ryan Phillippe, Garrett Hedlund, Chace Crawford, and John Krasinski all auditioned for the role. Chris Evans eventually accepted the role after Robert Downey Jr.
With the multiverse in play for the MCU, Evans could come back not as Captain America, but as the Human Torch, which would be a major surprise for fans. Adding to that possibility, Evans told MTV News in 2022 that returning as Johnny Storm "would actually be an easier sell to [him] than coming back as Cap."
MORE: Robert Downey Jr. isn't coming back as Tony Stark, Marvel Studios president says. Tony Stark sacrificed himself to snap away Thanos at the end of 2019's "Avengers: Endgame," and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige told Vanity Fair in December, "we would never want to magically undo it in any way."
“It purely came down to the Marvel board being nervous at putting all of their chips in their future films on somebody who famously had those legal troubles in the past,” Feige told Vanity Fair. “I wasn't very good — and I'm still not great — at taking no for an answer.
Robert Downey Jr. portrays Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Why did Robert Downey Jr not want to play Iron Man?
“It purely came down to the Marvel board being nervous at putting all of their chips in their future films on somebody who famously had those legal troubles in the past,” Feige said of Downey's arrests. “I wasn't very good — and I'm still not great — at taking no for an answer.
Robert Downey Jr. portrayed Tony Stark in Iron Man (2008), the first film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and continued to portray the character until his final appearance in Avengers: Endgame (2019). Downey's portrayal popularized the character, elevating Iron Man into one of Marvel's most recognizable superheroes.
Morgan Stark appears in The Invincible Iron Man. Morgan H. Stark appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Avengers: Endgame, portrayed by Lexi Rabe. This version is the daughter of Tony Stark and Pepper Potts who was born in 2018.
