Fate truly has an uncanny sense of irony. As evidenced by a young Robert Downey Jr. who would have never seen himself as the mighty Iron Man, the role that launched him as Tony Stark in the bankable Iron Man franchise. But now, a dramatic character shift is on the horizon for Downey Jr., who’s trading his suit of armor for the robes of Doctor Doom.
This twist of life was something that the actor had never imagined. But in a past interview, he admitted how he transformed into the very figure he once thought was way beyond his grasp.
Robert Downey Jr. Once Dismissed Iron Man, Now Set to Dominate as Doctor Doom
Iron Man made Robert Downey Jr. a household name and one of the most bankable actors in the industry. But despite the popularity of the character in the comics, the actor mentioned in a GQ interview how his younger self would have been surprised by his current success.
The actor added that back then he had a bold, almost reckless confidence. For instance, he even compared himself to someone who’d step out of his car “talking shit and is probably about to get hammered.” The conversation then turned to his stint in the Iron Man franchise, a role that redefined his career. Downey Jr. imagined how his younger self might have reacted to him being Iron Man.
Back then, Downey Jr. noted that the heroes of the big screen were legendary figures like Christopher Reeve as Superman and Michael Keaton as Batman. Further, he might have been torn between admiring the actors as well as being somewhat skeptical.
After all, they were the cool ones making superhero movies. But with Iron Man, he added, “Ugh, really? That’s a second-tier superhero,” and his younger self would have scoffed. But in a twist of fate, the actor who was once not interested in Iron Man is all set to return to the Marvel universe, but this time as Doctor Doom in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.
Robert Downey Jr. Passes on Deadpool & Wolverine Cameo: What Could Have Been?
Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe brought in Downey Jr. as the supervillain Doctor Doom, Ryan Reynolds had suggested he make an appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine. This was revealed by Rhett Rheese and Paul Wernick (via People), the screenwriters behind the three Deadpool movies.
The writers wanted the Iron Man actor to appear alongside Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan in the movie’s opening sequence. Wernick added “We had wanted him to do a cameo. We had written that scene [to start] with Happy and Downey.”
But they were unaware at the time of Downey Jr.’s ongoing discussions to take on the role of Victor von Doom in the two upcoming Avengers movies. But after the announcement at San Diego Comic-Con, the writers understood why he couldn’t commit to both projects.
The duo initially thought there was no way that the Iron Man actor would say no to Ryan Reynolds, as “no one says no to Ryan Reynolds.” But even though the Deadpool actor made a strong push for Downey Jr.’s participation, things just didn’t work out as they had hoped.
You can rent the Iron Man movies on Apple TV and Disney Plus. Further, watch Deadpool & Wolverine in theatres near you.
