1. Marvel Really, Really Didn't Want Robert Downey Jr. To Play Iron Man (And Rejected Him Multiple Times)
Well, here it is. The most notable thing that could have seriously changed the MCU and everything that it stands for had it never happened: the fact that Marvel were seriously against the idea of casting Robert Downey Jr. - then a recovering alcoholic with a bad reputation - in the role of Tony Stark and thus took some serious, serious persuasion. Nowadays, of course, Downey Jr. is the biggest movie star in the world; he's the poster boy for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and is - pretty much - everyone's favourite dude. But given his history, Marvel deemed it risky. And it was left to Jon Favreau - director of the original Iron Man flick - to convince them otherwise. It didn't start well: the studio outright rejected to consider the actor a bunch of times, but Favreau - rightly convinced that nobody else in the world could do the role justice - outright refused to give up. You see, Favreau believed that Robert Downey Jr. and Tony Stark were one and the same; they were both on very similar journeys; both trying to "come back" and make themselves into better people. And eventually his take won Marvel around. They nervously agreed to accept Downey Jr. in the role of Iron Man... and they've never looked back since. But can you imagine if they'd continued to refuse the actor? Without him in the lead role, Iron Man might never have succeed in the same way; the MCU might never have taken off. It's not worth thinking about. The real hero in all this, then? Jon Favreau, who may well be the guy responsible for making the MCU what it is today. Thank you, Jon. Sincerely. Like this article? What do you make of the ways in which the MCU almost turned out completely different? Let us know all your thoughts and theories in the comments below.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
