Jon Favreau Reveals Robert Downey Jr. Was In Talks For Another Marvel Character Before Iron Man

Downey Jr. is best known for playing Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe from 2008 to 2019

It’s hard to believe that Robert Downey Jr. could have played any other Marvel character but Iron Man – but that was the case years ago.

For the 15th anniversary of Iron ManMarvel Studios President Kevin Feige and Jon Favreau – who directed, produced and starred as Happy Hogan in the 2008 film – revealed that Downey Jr. almost didn’t play the iconic Marvel hero while discussing the behind the scenes of the film and its legacy.

“I remember you all met [Downey] already for Doctor Doom or something on another project,” Favreau, 56, told Feige in an interview posted to Youtube on Wednesday. “I think he may have got away with it The Fantastic Four, so everyone sort of knew who he was. Julian McMahon finally played Doom.

Related: Tom Cruise Says He Was “Not Close” to Playing Iron Man vs. Robert Downey Jr.

“I remember sitting down with the guy, and I was like, ‘He’s got this sparkle in his eye and he’s ready’” The Mandalorian noted creator.

“That’s when we were in your office and we were pointing his picture in the head and saying, ‘We have to try to figure this out,’” he continued. take a screen test.”

“Once it was him, that’s when my life became a lot easier because he understood the voice of the character,” Favreau explained. “And then one by one people were just signing on board because now it’s become something interesting.”

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Feige, 49, told Favreau: “I remember a change… when you said, ‘Once Downey was signed and it was done and he was there, you were like,’ Ah well.” Now I can just do the movie. Now I can just have fun.

Related: Robert Downey Jr. Teases ‘We’ll See’ About Possible Iron Man Return: I ‘Want to Keep It Classy’

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After Downey first donned the Iron Suit in the original 2008 film – which grossed over $585 million worldwide – he went on to reprise the role in nine more Marvel films, including two Iron Man sequels, before his character died in Avengers: Endgame (2019).

“That tone that you and Robert discovered on that movie, I would say kind of became the template for a lot of what the MCU has become,” Feige added.

“I remember later films… there were dark days,” he later noted. “I would say to Robert, ‘We wouldn’t be in this mess if it wasn’t for you’, which means we wouldn’t have a studio if it wasn’t for him. Or you [Favreau].”

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