Robert Downey Jr. is considered by many to be the perfect casting for Iron Man. However, Marvel originally wanted to give the actor a well-known villain role.
As Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. has become one of the most well-known and beloved heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
With his first film in 2008, the first phase of the MCU began. In doing so, the actor influenced the entire superhero universe with a single line.
We also have many Iron Man fans among the MeinMMO readers. The film ranked 3rd in our survey of the best Marvel films between 2008 and 2019.
Originally, however, Marvel had completely different plans for the actor: instead of a hero, he could have also become a supervillain.
Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom?
On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of Iron Man in May 2023, director Jon Favreau and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige revealed some behind-the-scenes stories in a YouTube video.
As Jon Favreau explained in the conversation, Robert Downey Jr. was not unfamiliar to Marvel before Iron Man. He had already auditioned for another major role:
I remember that Robert was there for a general [audition for Iron Man], and I remember that you all had met him for Doctor Doom or so at another project. I think he was auditioning for Fantastic Four?
Jon Favreau via YouTube
Who is Doctor Doom? Dr. Victor Von Doom or Doctor Doom is a supervillain from the Marvel Comics. Similar to Tony Stark, he possesses great wealth and is a brilliant scientist and inventor.
As an antagonist of the Fantastic Four, he made his first film appearance in 2005, played by Julian McMahon.
You can watch the YouTube video for Iron Man’s anniversary here. To get to the part where Robert Downey Jr. is discussed, skip to 4:40:
After the audition, Jon Favreau met with the actor to discuss the role. He thought to himself: “Man, he just has it, he has that spark inside him, in his eyes, and he’s ready.”
So Jon Favreau went to Kevin Feige’s office and together they decided to give the actor a chance for Iron Man. Then came a screen test in which Robert Downey Jr. was able to convince them and ultimately land the role.
Here with our colleagues at Filmstarts, you can read about which actors are rumored to be the new “Fantastic Four” for the MCU reboot.
Whether Robert Downey Jr. could have played both Doctor Doom and Iron Man is unclear.
A colleague, however, has already landed a major MCU role after Fantastic Four: Chris Evans was able to play both Johnny Storm and Captain America.
Another Marvel actor, on the other hand, actually wanted to become a Marvel hero, but ended up as an antagonist:
“Loki” never auditioned for his role, he actually wanted to be the hero
