12 Near-Miss Castings That Almost Improved The Marvel Cinematic Universe

4. Tim Robbins As Howard Stark - Iron Man 2

Dominic Cooper is now the main face of the Howard Stark character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having portrayed the younger version of the character in Captain America: The First Avenger - a role he is set to reprise in the upcoming television series Agent Carter. However, the elder Stark has also been portrayed as an older man in archive footage by two other actors - Gerard Sanders and John Slattery - and that seems like something of a waste when you consider that Tim Robbins was considered for the role. With a guy like Robbins portraying the older Howard Stark there would have been much more of an opportunity to explore the later life of one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s founding members and the childhood of Tony Stark - even if it was just in extended flashback scenes - because he would have brought more worth to the character as an older gentleman. It was Iron Man 2 when he was due to take over the role, as the film was to include a flashback sequence that, amongst other things, would have helped to set up both The Avengers and Captain America films, and director Jon Favreau said he needed an actor who could pull off the scene.