It’s hard to believe that Robert Downey Jr he could have played any other Marvel character but him Iron Man. For the 15th anniversary of the release of Iron Man, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and Jon Favreau, who directed, produced and appeared as Happy Hogan in the 2008 film, revealed that Robert Downey Jr. was almost certainly not would play the iconic Marvel hero, as he was in talks for another role.

“I remember you had already met with Downey about the role of Doctor Doom or something, in another project,” Favreau told Feig in an interview posted on YouTube. “I think it was maybe in the Fantastic Four, so everybody kind of knew who it was going to be».

“I remember sitting down with the guy and saying, “He’s got that spark in his eye and he’s ready.”“, noted Favreau. “My life was made a lot easier because it understood the character’s voice“, he explained afterwards.

After Downey first donned the iron suit in the 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 aspect that you and Robert explored in that movie, I would say became the template in a way for a lot of what happened in the MCUFeig added.

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