Can you envision someone other than Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark? If Hollywood star Tom Cruise had considered portraying ‘Iron Man,’ this may have happened.

Mission Impossible actor Tom Cruise was certainly a more bankable name in the 2000s than Robert Downey Jr. The latter was mired in terrible personal problems, and Marvel was hesitant to accept him into its heroic realm. It was an open Hollywood secret that Cruise’s name was practically written in stone for the role of Iron Man, and Cruise did confirm that he was contacted for the part but declined.

Cruise discussed being offered the part of Iron Man in a flashback interview. “They came to me at a certain point and, when I do something, I wanna do it right. If I commit to something, it has to be done in a way that I know it’s gonna be something special. And as it was lining up, it just didn’t feel to me like it was gonna work. I need to be able to make decisions and make the film as great as it can be, and it just didn’t go down that road that way.”

He was also quoted as saying that Robert Downey Jr. was the ideal choice for the character of Iron Man, and that he couldn’t picture anybody else in the position.

Marvel Studios, on the other hand, was adamant about not casting Downey in the role of Tony Stark. Jon Favreau, who directed and featured in the Iron Man films as Happy Hogan, pushed hard for his role. Favreau recalled telling Downey that he was giving up on casting him in a Rolling Stone interview. The actor, though, stated that he will continue to hope. The studios eventually gave in to Favreau’s demands. They allegedly paid Terrence Howard, who portrayed Rhodey, a greater sum than their star, amid reservations about his hiring.

Beginning with Iron Man (2008) and ending with Avengers: Endgame, the actor achieved worldwide acclaim for his portrayal of Tony Stark / Iron Man in ten Marvel Studios films (2019).

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown into a multibillion-dollar business. The franchise is presently in its critically praised Phase 4 with 24 films and three episodes. Downey’s character, Iron Man, was last seen in Avengers: Endgame, where he sacrificed his life to rescue the universe from Thanos.

When asked if he would consider returning to the franchise in the future during an appearance on The Today Show last year, Downey Jr. gave his fans some optimism.

“I’m not sure. Are we in bargaining now? I am so pleased, just that, I wound up where I have. I’m very fortunate so, I’m not the kind of guy who — I want to try to keep it classy. We’ll see,” he had said.