12 Actors You Won't Believe Almost Played Iconic Comic Book Characters
9. Tom Cruise - Iron Man
Once upon a time, the MCU was set to look very different. The studio wanted Tom Cruise to play Iron Man, with Sam Rockwell another popular choice; Rockwell would eventually be cast as Justin Hammer in the Iron Man sequel. Director Jon Favreau pushed hard for Robert Downey Jnr though, and the rest is history.
Robert Downey Jnr was seen as a huge risk at the time; he was just beginning to rebuild his career after crashing and burning spectacularly. Unlike today, he was far from a box office draw too.
Tom Cruise was much safer and a more reliable action star, although you have to say he doesn’t quite have the Tony Stark charm the way RDJ does. RDJ’s famous improv style breathed a sense of extra life into Stark too, including the famous ‘I am Iron Man’ line.
Cruise was initially pencilled in, but after production and script delays, his schedule filled up and he was no longer available. He’s starred in some mega hits in his day, but would Avengers have gone to be what it is without Robert Downey Jnr as Iron Man? Very doubtful.