Imagine a world where Robert Downey Jr. ditches the iconic red and gold suit of Iron Man for the villainous mantle of Doctor Doom. Yes, it almost happened! Before becoming the beloved Tony Stark, Downey Jr. was very close to taking on a completely different character in the Marvel realm.
Launching in 2008 with the first Iron Man movie, Robert Downey Jr. helped kickstart the phenomenon now known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film’s success spawned a sequel just two years later and Downey Jr.’s portrayal became a cornerstone of the MCU, culminating in the record-breaking Avengers: Endgame in 2019, which grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide.
Iron Man might have been the MCU starter, but Marvel’s cinematic adventures began earlier with hits like Blade, X-Men, Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man, and Hulk. But let’s not forget about 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
Featuring Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffudd, Chris Evans, and Michael Chickis, this Fantastic Four installment nearly saw Downey Jr. as the infamous Doctor Doom, a role ultimately played by Julian McMahon.
In a nostalgic recollection with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, Jon Favreau, director of Iron Man, revealed how close Downey Jr. came to a very different Marvel destiny. “I remember Robert had come in for a general on [Iron Man], and you had all met with him already for, like, Doctor Doom or something on another project,” Favreau reminisced.
He added, “I think that he’d come through from Fantastic Four, so everybody sort of knew who he was and I remember sitting down with the guy and I was like, ‘Jeez. He just got it. He’s got that [sparkle] in his eye and he’s ready.'”
And just like that, cinematic history was made.
Interestingly, Downey Jr.’s potential shift from villain to hero in Marvel films parallels the path taken by Chris Evans, who transitioned from Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four to the virtuous Captain America in 2011. This swap illustrates how dynamic casting decisions can significantly impact an actor’s career and the overall trajectory of a film series.
As the Marvel universe continues to expand, the latest Fantastic Four reboot will see new faces, with Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, and Pedro Pascal stepping into the role of Reed Richards, with Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, showing the continual evolution and enduring appeal of these timeless characters.