Summary

Tom Cruise was almost cast as Iron Man before Robert Downey Jr., but a new book explains why it didn’t happen. The MCU has become a huge phenomenon, with actors like Downey Jr. becoming the face of their characters. The idea of Downey Jr. or even Cruise returning as Iron Man in the future is not impossible, considering the concept of the multiverse.

Before Robert Downey Jr. was chosen to play Tony Stark aka Iron Man at the very beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tom Cruise was very close to taking the role and the reason why that did not happen has finally been revealed. It is very difficult to imagine the MCU without the presence of Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner and even Mark Ruffalo, who was not the original Hulk. So much time has passed since each of them made their debut in what is today the most important film and television franchise in the industry, that the actors themselves have already become the face of their characters. Especially in the case of Downey Jr., whose portrayal of Tony Stark is considered one of the best performances of his entire career.

However, another big star came close to landing the role. None other than Tom Cruise. The new book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, written by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards, explains the reasons why the star of Mission: Impossible and Top Gun was not chosen for the (courtesy of CinemaBlend):

“Ten years earlier, when the Iron Man rights were at 20th Century Fox, Tom Cruise, then thirty-four, had flirted with the idea of playing Stark. According to Feige, however, Cruise’s asking fee at the time was more than even a profitable studio like Fox was willing to risk on an untested superhero property.”

When the first Iron Man movie was released in 2008, no one imagined the phenomenon it would become. And not just that film in particular, but everything that came after. So for any company it would have been a big risk to put a star as big as Cruise in charge of something that at that time was largely an unknown and unknowable entity. Since then, the MCU has been the driving force behind the careers of many actors, as well as featuring several established stars such as Samuel L. Jackson.

Related Superior Iron Man: Why Tom Cruise would Still Be Perfect for this Role Tom Cruise could be the villain this universe needs as fans discuss the actor portraying a variant of Tony Stark — Superior Iron Man.

Could Robert Downey Jr. Return to the MCU?
Marvel Studios

Avengers: Endgame not only marked a before and after for the franchise as the final chapter of the Infinity Saga, it also closed the stories of some of its most emblematic characters, including Tony Stark. Robert Downey Jr.’s character dies as the great hero of the huge blockbuster that was Avengers: Endgame, but many wonder if we could see him again in the future of the franchise.

Considering that the MCU recently introduced the concept of the multiverse, which allows time travel to different moments and alternate realities, the appearance of Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, or even a different version played by Tom Cruise, is not a crazy idea. But of course, it is not something that depends so much on the logical possibility of this happening within the plot, but rather on the desire of either of the two actors to appear or whether their agendas allow it. So only time will tell.

Tom Cruise can next be seen reprising the role of Ethan Hunt in the now untitled eighth Mission: Impossible film, which is scheduled to be released on May 23, 2025.