It’s almost impossible to imagine Iron Man played by anyone other than Robert Downey Jr., but did you know that Downey was almost cast as a DIFFERENT Marvel character before he auditioned to play the “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” (his words, not ours 😉)?

Iron Man
And that other character was an infamous VILLAIN, no less!
Imagine how different the Marvel films would be if Robert Downey Jr. were cast as Doctor Doom in The Fantastic Four instead of as Iron Man. It sounds like a casting from a different multiverse, right?! But that’s almost what happened, according to Iron Man director Jon Favreau.

Doctor Doom ©Fox via Business Insider
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Favreau and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige reflected on the making of Iron Man. Favreau said, “I remember you had all met with him [Downey] already for like Doctor Doom or something on another project. I think he had come through on like maybe Fantastic Four, so everybody sort of knew who he was.”
Favreau didn’t say exactly how close Downey was to getting the role of Doctor Doom. He did say, however, that when Downey auditioned for Iron Man, they immediately saw a “spark” and “knew he was perfect for the role.”

©Disney via Hollywood Reporter
Favreau reflected that, once Downey was on board with Iron Man, things just started to fall into place: “Once it was him, that’s when my life got a lot easier because he understood the voice of the character. Then one by one, people were just signing on board because now it became something interesting.”
Of course, Downey went on to play Iron Man in a couple of sequels, four Avengers movies, and lots of other Marvel films. Feige said that he didn’t think Marvel would have a studio if it weren’t for Downey: “I remember on later movies — we’ll talk about them on the 15th anniversary of those — there were dark days. I would say to Robert, ‘We wouldn’t be in this mess if it wasn’t for you,’ meaning we wouldn’t have a studio if it wasn’t for him.”

©CinemaBlend | Marvel
In an interview with Insider back in 2022, Downey reflected on his role in Iron Man, saying that “not too many people were thinking Iron Man was going to have an opening weekend or do much of anything, so we were a little bit left alone.” According to Downey, Marvel had financed the movie “in a way that meant the studio was already prepared for failure.”

©️Blackstone Publishing
About making the film, Downey said, “It was the perfect thing where there were not a lot of creatively aggressive eyes on us. And by the time they gave it to us, it was like [artist-owned movie studio] United Artists, like the lunatics took over the asylum.”
Contrary to the studio’s predictions, however, Iron Man was a big success, earning $585 million worldwide. Downey went on to play Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame, which earned $2.798 billion worldwide, so clearly Marvel made the right call in bringing Downey on board.

©Marvel
Iron Man is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. The film started Phase 1 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe back in 2008. (Can you believe we’re already on Phase 5 now?)
Keep following DFB for more updates on all the latest Disney news!
Bob Iger says he wants to have more Marvel in Disney World. Here’s why he CAN’T.
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.

Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
Which Marvel character is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.
TRENDING NOW
Disney has announced the end of the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Virtual Queue...
While you're planning your Disney World trip, let's talk about the dress code rules Disney...
ALERT! Things at Tiana's Bayou Adventure are CHANGING soon.
You've got a little time left to enjoy these things that are closing in Disney...
Surprise! Something special just happened in EPCOT!
Disney World's bougiest restaurant just got even MORE elite.
Disney announced a MAJOR change to riding Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and some...
We have the biggest Disney news from this week right here!
Captain America HIMSELF showed up to a showing of 'Captain America: Brave New World' in...
Don't miss out on these NEW Disney Loungeflys at Target!
Here's a look at the current and upcoming closures at Disney World hotels.
Construction has once again struck one of Disney World's most popular hotel pools!
Animal Kingdom has welcomed MORE baby animals to their aviary!
Cinderella fans, set those alarms for February 28th -- a new Starbucks Disney Tumbler is...
We're begging you to not do this on Haunted Mansion.
These are the things you'll need to make your Disney World trip even better.
Now more than ever, Lightning Lane can be an extremely useful tool during your 2025...
Disney announced new Lorcana deck - Archazia's Island!
If you're heading to Disney's Old Key West anytime soon, you need to read this!
If you're going to drink one drink from each EPCOT pavilion, these are the drinks...