Robert Downey Jr. lost the role to another 2000s action star before cementing his place in movie history as Iron Man in the MCU.
As Iron Man director Jon Favreau and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige succeeded in bringing to life a figure who would pave the path for so many MCU heroes to follow him, the tale behind Downey’s casting is the stuff of cinematic folklore.
Downey is certainly the best candidate to play the brilliant millionaire playboy, philanthropist, etc., but is he Marvel’s first choice?
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Robert Downey Jr. almost lost the role of Iron Man.
During his commencement address at the University of Southern California (USC) commencement ceremony on May 12, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige shared more details about the casting of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man.
Feige said that he and his team were looking for someone with “the right combination of heart, strength and charisma” and that the success of the MCU as a whole depends on that actor:
“We considered a wide range of performers while casting the character of Iron Man. We had to establish the ideal balance of charisma, heart, and strength. The stakes for our debut Marvel movie could not have been much greater. The destiny of our entire studio and the success of the movie depended on this one individual.
He continued by revealing that Marvel had really made Clive Owen, who was their first pick to play Tony Stark, an offer. The English performer “was not interested” in the part, declining it, which resulted in Downey being hired by Marvel Studios in September 2006:
It was a difficult assignment, but with the help of my staff, our casting directors, and our director, Jon Favreau, we narrowed down the field, identified the ideal candidate, and made an offer to our top choice—an actor who met all the requirements and who we were convinced would be a big success. Of course, he went by the name Clive Owen. He achieved. He showed no interest.
In the late 1990s, Owen gained notoriety and later appeared in popular thriller and action films including Sin City, The Bourne Identity, Children of Men, and Inside Man.
While Owen declined the part, Feige took the opportunity to discover that it’s preferable to make “the right choice” as opposed to “your first choice.” He continued by praising Downey for directing one of the year’s most popular films, Iron Man, which launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008:
This is the unspoken law of existence. The best thing that may happen to you may be that you don’t get your first pick. Given that, what could be better than obtaining your first choice? Making the ideal decision. Naturally, Robert Downey Jr. was the option in our instance, and the first film our studio ever produced ended up being one of the best-reviewed and highest-grossing films of the year.
Even future Iron Man 2 actor Sam Rockwell, before he portrayed Justin Hammer, was on the list of candidates to play Tony Stark, proving that Downey and Owen were by no means the only contenders.
Iron Man without Robert Downey Jr. in the MCU?
Clive Owen, who is just about the same age as Downey Jr. and stands at 6’1″, would have likely matched the Tony Stark model well if he had accepted the role. He also has a classic action-hero appearance.
Although Marvel Studios was far from a sure thing at the time, it is still unclear why he passed down the role. After all, Iron Man was the group’s debut film, one that centered on a character that was at the time considered to be a B-list hero and had a genuine possibility of not becoming a global success.
The MCU as a whole would become a reality with Iron Man’s almost $600 million global total, making it the eighth-highest picture globally and the second-biggest domestic commercial success of 2008 overall.
It’s impossible to say if the solo film would have achieved the same success if Clive Owen had been present, but Marvel fans are undoubtedly appreciative that things turned out the way they did because the MCU is currently the highest-grossing film series of all time.
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