By the time Robert Downey Jr. got offered the part of Matt Kowalski in Gravity – the movie about two incredible astronauts working together to survive after finding themselves stranded in space – he had already won plenty of plaudits for playing another genius character, Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise.
On the surface, another science fiction, with a tad bit fewer action sequences but an equal amount of engrossing moments, should’ve been an easy stint for Downey Jr. However, the 58-year-old quickly found himself out of the project and replaced by George Clooney after struggling to cope with on-set demands of Alfonso Cuarón’s story.
How George Clooney Ended Up Replacing Robert Downey Jr. In Gravity
George Clooney joined hands with Sandra Bullock for Gravity, wherein their characters are hit by debris while spacewalking. The science-fiction drama turned out to be both critical and financial success, winning a remarkable seven Academy Awards and grossing $723.2 million at the box office.
Clooney and Bullock also earned plenty of plaudits, with the latter also receiving an Oscar nomination for her performance. However, both weren’t the first choice for their respective roles. Robert Downey Jr. and Angelina Jolie were initially supposed to be together on the Space Shuttle Explorer.
However, the Iron Man star quickly realized he wasn’t going to be able to improvise his performance due to cramped physical choreography. Director Alfonso Cuarón revealed (via The Hollywood Reporter):
“It became clear that, as we started to nail the technology, or narrow the technology, that was going to be a big obstacle for (Downey Jr’s) performance. I think Robert is fantastic if you give him the freedom to completely breathe and improvise and change stuff. [But] we tried one of these technologies, and it was not compatible. After that, we [had a] week that we pretended as if nothing was happening, and then we talked and said, ‘This is not going to work. This is tough’.”
The claustrophobic nature of the whole process proved too much for the actor. Speaking on The Howard Stern Show, Downey Jr. further suggested that the complicated technology was also overwhelming for him, stating:
“I went to do a test with a new sort of multi-spherical camera for how they were going to do the CGI and I’m one of those guys who can be comfortably uncomfortable pretty easily. I went in in the morning to do it, went in for about 20 minutes and said, ‘This is crazy, how much longer is this?’ They said, ‘Another four or five hours?’ I said, ‘No, it isn’t.’ You have to have boundaries. Leave before you flip out.”
Downey Jr. eventually departed, and Clooney, who had been aware of Cuarón’s project, was more than open to step in and keep the show going.
Why Angelina Jolie Didn’t Join Gravity Which Led to Oscar Nomination for Sandra Bullock
As for Jolie, she held talks with the director but had to drop out because of scheduling conflicts, as per the Mexican director.
In particular, she had plans to direct the movie Unbroken (2014). The biographical war drama attracted a lot of praise in her direction and impressively grossed $163.4 million at the box office.
The names of Scarlett Johanssen and Natalie Portman were also linked with Gravity but the role ultimately landed at Bullock’s door. The Y tu mamá también filmmaker was certainly satisfied with her female lead’s work and highlighted how her performance during the famous space pod sequence was key to elevating the whole scene.
