Downey Jr's "spark" convinced the studio he was the right fit to play Iron Man, thus earning him the coveted role in what would become the movie that kicked off the MCU in 2008.

Why did they pick Robert Downey Jr for Iron Man?

“I think he had come through on like maybe Fantastic Four, so everybody sort of knew who he was,” Favreau recalled. He said he ended up bringing Downey in after seeing “that spark in him”. “Once it was him, that's when my life got a lot easier because he undersood the voice of the character,” he said.

Why did Marvel cast Robert Downey Jr in Iron Man?

According to Maisel, he was the key figure in getting Marvel's board to sign off on casting Robert Downey Jr. in the lead role. Downey Jr.'s charisma is widely credited with making “Iron Man” a critical and box office hit in 2008, thus opening the door for Maisel's dream of a Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Why did Marvel choose Iron Man as the first movie?

Marvel Studios turned to children for guidance in deciding which superhero to center their films around, leading them to choose Iron Man. Kids' heightened interest in Tony Stark shaped Iron Man's character-first narrative, which became the standard of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Who was originally offered the role of Iron Man?

8 Tom Cruise — Iron Man

Because of Downey Jr.'s rocky past, Marvel producers were extremely reluctant to cast him as Iron Man, hence the endless number of stars, such as Tom Cruise, who got offered the role. Cruise turned the offer down because it didn't feel right to him.

Marvel is in talks to bring back Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man

Why didn't Tom Cruise play Iron Man?

Summary. Tom Cruise was considered for the role of Iron Man but was not chosen because his asking fee at the time was too high for the studio to risk on an untested superhero property.

Did Robert Downey Jr have to audition for Iron Man?

He was called in for an audition for the film when they saw a “spark in him” for the Iron Man role.

Who was first choice for Tony Stark?

Kevin Feige continued and shared that they felt that Clive Owen would be the perfect choice for the role of Tony Stark/ Iron Man. However, Owen was not interested in playing the role of The Armored Avenger, and that led Feige and his team to cast Robert Downey Jr. in 2006.

Who was Marvel's top choice for Iron Man?

Thanks to the work of Feige, director Jon Favreau, and others, the team found the perfect choice, “an actor who checked all of those boxes and who we were confident would be a huge hit.” That actor? English star Clive Owen.

Who was the top choice for Iron Man?

Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of Tony Stark in the Iron Man and Avengers films is iconic, but according to Marvel boss Kevin Feige, Downey was not the first choice to play the billionaire superhero: Clive Owen was.

Why did Robert Downey Jr stop doing Marvel?

While talking at length about his post-Iron Man ventures with Daniel Roth (via LinkedIn), Downey said he wanted to focus on his philanthropic work and didn't have the time while working long hours on MCU sets.

Is Robert Downey Jr still friends with the Avengers cast?

Even after Robert Downey Jr's MCU tenure ended in Endgame, he and Holland continue to show their friendship on social media and even co-starred in the non-MCU film Dolittle. As with the original members of The Avengers, Robert Downey Jr naturally falls into the role of both mentor and friend to his co-stars.

Who tried out for Black Widow?

The Marvel Cinematic Universe nearly took a very different route with their Black Widow character. Before Scarlett Johansson suited up as the beloved Avenger, Emily Blunt was going to play the role. Paramount Pictures had the actress as their first choice to play Natasha Romanoff in Iron Man 2.

Why did Chris Evans leave Marvel?

I just wasn't sure if I was moving closer to myself or further away. And something inside me kept saying that I was getting further away—that something about this industry wasn't healthy. One person who convinced Evans to accept the role was Downey Jr., who kicked off the MCU in 2008.

Is Chris Evans done with Marvel?

Chris Evans Isn't Returning to Marvel Any Time Soon, But “Never Say Never” The man once known as Captain America talks about resisting a “cash grab” sequel and why he agrees with Quentin Tarantino about Marvel movies in a new GQ profile.

Is Robert Downey Jr done with Marvel?

Says He's 'Happy' to Be Done With Marvel Movies. “You start to wonder if a muscle you have hasn't atrophied.” Tony Stark himself has revealed he is “happy” to be out of the Marvel machine.

Who turned down playing Iron Man?

4 Tom Cruise

He ended up turning down the offer, but doesn't really regret his decision, as he admitted that Downey is simply perfect for the role. When asked why he rejected the part, Cruise said (via Us Magazine), "As it was lining up, it just didn't feel to me like it was gonna work.

Who is more powerful than Iron Man?

Captain America is physically stronger than Iron Man, whether with his suit or not. If they both entered a ring-to-box hand-to-hand combat, Captain America would destroy Iron Man in that fight.

Are Tom Cruise and Rdj friends?

Robert Downey Jr and Tom Cruise are two of the biggest actors in Hollywood. The two have given multiple blockbusters in their respective acting careers. Even though the two have worked together in one film, Tropic Thunder, over the years, they share a great bond of friendship.

Who else auditioned for Thor?

Tom Hiddleston was one of the many young men who auditioned to play Thor, but Marvel felt he was a better fit for Loki. Those who also tested included Charlie Hunnam, Alexander Skarsgard, Joel Kinnaman, Kevin McKidd, and even WWE star Triple-H.

Was Tom Cruise almost cast as Iron Man?

The actor, 60, revealed in a new interview with podcast Phase Zero that while rumors have been circulating over the years about him potentially playing the iconic Marvel hero, he wasn't anywhere close to actually snagging the role. "Not close," he confirmed.

Who was the first choice to play Thor?

Marvel's first choice for the role of Thor was Daniel Craig. However, his commitment to the James Bond franchise prevented him from taking the part.

Who all auditioned for Captain America?

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.

Who almost played Thanos?

Josh was somebody who came up," Gunn said. "I'm a big fan of his work, and he was somebody who came up who really had the weight that you need for somebody like Thanos." But Brolin wasn't the only contender. "We talked about Pauly Shore for a long time.

Who almost played Star Lord?