The Marvel Cinematic Universe is, in great, the powerhouse that it is today due to the efforts of studio head Kevin Feige and the countless individuals who work at Marvel Studios. Of course, an actor by the name of Robert Downey Jr. deserves some credit as well, as his debut performance as Tony Stark in 2008’s Iron Man helped to propel the film to box office success. After all these years, it’s honestly hard to imagine anyone else playing the role of the mustachioed hero except for Downey. Believe it or not though, he wasn’t the studio’s “top choice” for Stark, as the other name they had in mind passed. Feige recently recalled that situation while discussing forks in life and more during a recent speech.
Kevin Feige returned to his alma mater, the University of Southern California, to address the class of 2023. Based on the video that was shared to YouTube, many of the graduates were delighted with the producer’s anecdotes about his experiences as a student and filmmaker. The speech was funny and engaging, but the icing on the cake was the Iron Man story. Before getting into the main details of that behind-the-scenes tale though, he spoke about one major ingredient that comes into play when one navigates the ups and downs of life:
There’s a fun Tony Stark story I’d like to leave you with. I can say, “Embrace your flaws, be persistent, surround yourselves with an amazing group of collaborators.’ But there will always be elements that will be out of your control. One of those elements is luck. You can have the best ideas, the best plans, best intentions. But unless life aligns just right, they may never come to pass. And that’s not a bad thing, sometimes it can be a positive.
Those are certainly wise words from the veteran filmmaker, and he’d know this from first-hand experience. Having been rejected from USC’s film school five times before getting accepted and now oversees the plethora of upcoming Marvel movies, he knows a thing or two about luck. He then illustrated how plans can go awry by reflecting on the casting of the Armored Avenger:
When we were casting the role of Iron Man, we looked at so many different actors. We had to find the perfect mix of heart and strength and charisma. Being our first Marvel film out of the gate, the stakes could not have been higher. The success of the film and the future of our entire studio on the shoulders of this one person, and it was not an easy task. But together with my team and our casting directors and our director, Jon Favreau, we culled down our list, we pinpointed the right guy, and we extended an offer to our top choice – an actor who checked all of those boxes and who we were confident would be a huge hit. And his name, of course, was Clive Owen. He passed. He was not interested.
Oscar nominee Clive Owen is certainly a gifted actor and could've been an interesting choice for Tony Stark. Entertainment enthusiasts probably know him best from his performances in Closer, Close My Eyes, Sin City and more. While the notion of him playing the character is intriguing, I don’t think he could’ve brought Tony Stark the way that Robert Downey Jr. did. While Downey had to practice for the role, his Iron Man audition alone seemed to indicate that he was the best fit. And based on his speech, his longtime collaborator agrees with that sentiment:
And that is the unwritten rule of luck – not getting your first choice might just be the greatest thing that can happen. Because you know what’s better than getting your first choice, getting the right choice. In our case, of course, that was Robert Downey Jr., and the first movie we ever made as a studio ended up being one of the best reviewed and highest grossing movies of the year.
That “right choice” spawned a successful film trilogy and arguably rejuvenated Robert Downey Jr.’s career. And I think I speak for a number of people when I say that we’re incredibly grateful to have had the actor in the role for more than a decade. Since the release of Avengers: Endgame, there are plenty of fans wondering whether the actor would ever reprise the role of Iron Man. Co-star Mark Ruffalo thinks a return is possible at some point. Whether that happens remains to be seen but, at present, let’s heed Kevin Feige’s advice about not dwelling on your “top choice.”
Those who want to check out Robert Downey Jr.’s take on Tony Stark can stream past MCU movies using a Disney+ subscription.
