10 Movie Auditions That Changed Cinema Forever
2. Robert Downey Jr. - Iron Man
Robert Downey Jr.'s audition for Iron Man made it clear in basically record time that he had "the sauce," as the kids say these days, to not only play Tony Stark, but ultimately carry an entire multi-billion dollar franchise on his back.
The audition tape brilliantly conveys both Downey's laid-back charisma and fiery intensity across separate scenes, and so it's easy to appreciate why this persuaded director Jon Favreau and the Marvel bigwigs to pull the trigger on Downey despite his high-profile personal issues.
But this audition had a major impact on over a decade of blockbuster movies, given that Downey didn't merely become Iron Man - he became the figurehead of the Marvel Cinematic Universe all the way through to his final appearance in Avengers: Endgame in 2019.
It's not an exaggeration to say that this tape made the MCU what it is today, and more than that, it proved highly influential on tentpole films in general, with so many blockbusters straining to give audiences their own quick-witted, effortlessly charming Tony Stark-esque character.