10 Iconic Movie Characters Only ONE Actor Could Play
2. Iron Man - Robert Downey Jr.
Even though I've hypothesised over the qualities needed to decide whether or not an actor is irreplaceable, often it comes to basic maths. Yeah, it might not be that sexy, but it's a concrete method.
For instance, the ludicrous amount of money Robert Downey Jr. has earned playing Iron Man is testament to just how inseparable the actor and hero are, and how much fans had invested in the two being one and the same. For The Avengers, Downey Jr. reportedly took home $50 million; he netted $1 million a minute for Spider-Man: Homecoming; and secured a whopping $75 million payday for Avengers: Endgame.
Put simply, studios don't pony up that kind of money if they can swap the actor out for someone less costly.
Of course, Robert Downey Jr. knows this. It was his performance as the former genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist that helped launch the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, and turned a B-tier superhero into a star bigger than even Batman and Superman.
When Tony Stark announced at the end of the first Iron Man that he was the superhero, that wasn't just a statement from the character, but also from the actor playing him. From there on the two would become inseparable, and though the world of superheroes means there'll no doubt be another Tony Stark at some point, whoever takes the reigns will always be living in the shadow of Downey Jr.'s work.