Marvel fans might find it impossible to imagine anyone else playing Iron Man aside from Robert Downey Jr., but little do they know that Marvel Studios had some very "family-friendly" concerns about letting the controversial Hollywood star play everyone's favorite armored genius billionaire.
Marvel Studios casting director Sarah Finn just recently spoke in an interview for the Avengers: Endgame bonus features on Disney+ (via ComicBook.com) and in the featurette, Finn reveals a few details behind the casting of Iron Man. Finn has been on board the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever since Marvel first released Iron Man in 2008, and according to the casting director, Marvel Studios had a few hesitations when it came to casting RDJ as Iron Man.
Back then Downey Jr. was neck-deep in controversy. He had been arrested several times for intoxication and drug use, things that got him fired from the set of Ally McBeal and things that eventually cost him more than one job in the industry.
Marvel was wary about casting Downey Jr. in Iron Man, a project that Finn describes as a "family-friendly" film. Despite the studio's concerns, Jon Favreau and the rest of the Iron Man team kept on coming back to RDJ because of how well suited he was for the role.
"Robert Downey, Jr., at that point in his career, wasn't necessarily a 'family-friendly' name," Finn said during the interview. "There were concerns about, was he an action her? Was he a name that would promote a family movie? Jon was in love with the idea of Downey playing the part and we all felt so sure about him on a creative level...Becuase he wasn't instantly a slam-dunk approval, as we were reading other people and looking at it, I suggested we had screen tests and let the best person win."
In the end, Marvel made the right decision casting RDJ as Iron Man. Not only does the actor's natural charisma suit Tony Stark's, but Downey Jr.'s performance has solidified his name as Marvel's Iron Man. Right now, the actor's far from the man that he used to be, turning a new leaf from all the substance abuse that he used to do in the early 2000s.
Could you imagine anyone else as Iron Man? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Avengers: Endgame is currently available on Digital HD, Blu-Ray, and DVD.
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