Robert Downey Jr. Almost Played the Bad Guy in This Marvel Movie
By Movieguide® Contributor
Robert Downey Jr. is loved around the world for Iron Man — but did you know he almost played a very different role in the MCU?
“I remember you had all met with him already for like Doctor Doom or something on another project,” IRON MAN director and co-star Jon Favreau shared, referring to FANTASTIC FOUR’s villain. “I think he had come through on maybe FANTASTIC FOUR, so everybody sort of knew who he was.”
The role of Doctor Doom ultimately went to Julian McMahon, but Downey Jr. soon went on to score the starring role in IRON MAN.
Favreau called the actor “the puzzle piece that made it all work,” adding, “I remember sitting down with the guy, and I was like, ‘He’s got that spark in him in his eye and he’s ready.’ That’s when we were in [Marvel boss Kevin Feige’s] office, and we were pointing to his headshot, saying, ‘We got to try to figure this out.’”
“Once it was him, that’s when my life got a lot easier,” he continued. “Because he [had] the voice of the character. And then one by one, people were just signing on board because now it became something interesting.”
Iron Man was killed in 2019’s AVENGERS: ENDGAME, but Downey Jr. revealed he was game to return to the MCU.
“It’s too integral a part of my DNA,” the actor said. “That role chose me. And look, I always say, never, ever bet against Kevin Feige. It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.”
Many have credited Marvel for revitalizing Downey Jr.’s career after a years-long struggle with drug and alcohol addiction, including a 1996 arrest for possession of heroin, cocaine and an unloaded gun.
“My board thought I was crazy to put the future of the company in the hands of an addict,” former Marvel president David Maisel told Variety. “I helped them understand how great he was for the role. We all had confidence that he was clean and would stay clean.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Downey’s thoughts on addiction:
Robert Downey Jr. and his father discussed addiction and how they both overcame it in the new Netflix documentary SR.
“It’s incomplete if you don’t,” Downey Jr. said of his decision to broach the topic and include it in the movie. “I also hate puff pieces. “There’s so many examples of it right now where everyone’s trying to get their narrative out there.”
The IRON MAN actor also talked about why so many feel “uncomfortable” with discussions about addiction, saying, “Nobody wants to admit complete defeat over trying to deal with something like alcoholism or addiction.”
“I still think there’s this section of our culture that thinks it’s a moral weakness. And also, you feel bad about all the crazy [stuff], so then there’s the guilt button,” he explained. “I don’t really know if my dad ever made peace with those many lost years….”