Robert Downey Jr.'s contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe are unparalleled and four years after exiting the franchise, it's still hard to imagine how things would have been if he didn't get cast as the "genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist" in the first Iron Man.
We've heard stories of how Downey wasn't always Marvel's original pick to play Tony Stark in live-action and now, the creators of the inaugural MCU film are revealing new information about his actual role in the franchise prior to its inception.
Turns out, long before the MCU's birth, RDJ was already in talks with the studio to play a different character in a film that would get a divisive reception from Marvel diehards.
Robert Downey Jr. Nearly Got Cast as Doctor Doom in 2005's Fantastic Four
In a new video titled Iron Man: 15 Years Later, director Jon Favreau and Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige sat down to discuss the film's legacy and true significance to creating what is now a worldwide entertainment juggernaut.
During one part of their conversation, Feige recalled Marvel's initial plans to cast RDJ as the notorious villain Doctor Doom in 2005's Fantastic Four and its sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
Feige shared: "I remember that Robert had come in for a general on it and I remember you had all met with him already for like Dr. Doom or something on another project... I think he had come through on... like Fantastic Four... So everybody sort of knew who he was and I remember sitting down with the guy and I was like geez he just got... that spark in him and his eye, and he's ready. And that's when we were in your (Kevin Feige) office and we were pointing to his headshot and saying we got to try to figure this out."
Also Read: Tom Cruise Wasn't Marvel Studios' Original Choice to Play Iron Man After All
Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed in the end and it would take three more years before Downey made his official Marvel debut. As good of an actor as he is, I'm personally relieved that he ultimately got a much better deal because his portrayal of Tony Stark defined the character.
The original Iron Man film is available to stream on Disney+.
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