Robert Downey Jr almost played a very different Marvel role. Will he make an MCU comeback?
American actor and producer Robert Downey Jr. His career has been marked by critical and financial success in his youth, drug misuse, legal issues, and a comeback. From 2013 through 2015, Forbes dubbed Downey Hollywood’s highest-paid actor, while Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in 2008.
From Iron Man (2008) until Avengers: Endgame (2019), Downey played Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He portrayed Sherlock Holmes in Guy Ritchie’s (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011), winning him his second Golden Globe.
Marvel Studios has gone from being an underdog in Hollywood to an unstoppable powerhouse in only 15 years and 32 films. With the introduction of the Marvel Cinematic Universe idea, Kevin Feige and his crew transformed the franchise film industry by delivering related material that can be enjoyed anytime. The studio’s meteoric rise to entertainment dominance can be traced back to one daring film: Jon Favreau’s “Iron Man.”
“It wasn’t really until we cast Robert that we knew what the take was, and once we cast Robert, every decision became a lot easier,” Feige explained.
To phrase Feige, “I think that’s probably one of the greatest decisions in the history of Hollywood,” when referring to Downey’s casting. Favreau said that at an audition for Tim Story’s 2005 film Fantastic Four, Downey had tried out for the part of Doctor Doom. This talk was posted to Marvel’s official YouTube account. In the end, Australian actor Julian McMahon was cast in the role, despite the film’s mixed critical reception.
“I think he had come through on like maybe Fantastic Four, so everybody sort of knew who he was,” Favreau said. His observation of “that spark in him” ultimately led him to recruit Downey, he claimed. “Once it was him, that’s when my life got a lot easier because he understood the voice of the character,” he claimed. People started jumping on board one by one as they saw the project’s potential.
“From that first screen test… he knew that this was his shot and it was gonna work,” Feige said. The international gross for Iron Man, which also featured Gwyneth Paltrow, Favreau, Jeff Bridges, and Paul Bettany (in a voice part), was over $585 million (£473.8 million).
Since then, Downey has appeared in two Iron Man sequels, four Avengers films, Captain America: Civil War, and Spider-Man: Homecoming, starring opposite Tom Holland. During his talk with Favreau, Feige joked that he initially blamed Downey for “the mess they were in,” but now Marvel “wouldn’t even have a studio” without him.
This is sad news for all Marvel fans; officially, Robert Downey Jr. won’t return for any other Marvel films. Tony Stark’s heroic death in Avengers: Endgame dashed the hopes of many who thought they would see him again in a future film. Even if it was only for a cameo, the idea of Downey Jr. returning made sense.
Marvel executive Stephen Broussard told io9 (via Gizmodo) that the next phase, titled “Phase Five,” would put more of an emphasis on characters introduced in “Phase Four.” That also means we have to say goodbye for good to specific fan favorites like Iron Man.
“Well, I think one of the meta-narratives of Phase Four was about new characters. It was about new people stepping into mantles. If you look at, like, Cassie (Lang in Quantumania) getting a suit and Kate Bishop (in Hawkeye), new characters being introduced like Jack in Werewolf by Night,”
He explained. “After these first ten years of Marvel storytelling, torches are being passed, like with Robert Downey Jr. no longer being (on the) table and stuff like that. So it was kind of like a new generation stepping to the forefront, which, again, has always happened in the comics.” He added.
Although this news might be disappointing for the fans, this news makes more room for welcoming new characters and better character development, which no one can miss.
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