10 Even More Movie Roles Obviously Designed For Other Actors
2. Tony Stark In Iron Man - Tom Cruise
There is no denying that Robert Downey Jr. was the perfect Tony Stark.
His combination of rich kid attitude, wise-cracking swagger, and unconventional looks made him the perfect flawed hero of the MCU. There's no doubt that he made the role his own, to the point where even thinking about another actor playing the part is sacrilegious.
But come on - a billionaire playboy with a love of high-powered flying machines? That's Tom Cruise to a tee!
Maverick himself expressed an interest in playing the role as early as 1998, back when the character and Marvel as a whole were languishing in obscure limbo. Seriously, the pre-2008 history of that company reads like a horror story. The only Marvel is that they ever got so popular!
Whilst Stark is a little more self-aware than Cruise's usual performances would allow, that is probably down to Downey's influence.
A lot of the original Iron Man dialogue was improvised (because the script wasn't actually finished when filming started), allowing the actor to put his own stamp on the hero.
And thank God he did. Can you imagine a world where Tom Cruise headed up the MCU?
No thanks.