Retro-Casting Iron Man: 15 Actors Who Could've Played Tony Stark In The MCU If It Wasn't RDJ

Feb. 7, 2024, 1:10 p.m.

Movies

Retro-Casting Iron Man: 15 Actors Who Could've Played Tony Stark In The MCU If It Wasn't RDJ

0 0

Summary Robert Downey Jr. was a risky but iconic choice for Iron Man, though other stars like Tom Cruise were considered for the role.

Timothy Olyphant was a contender for Tony Stark, auditioning with Downey Jr., showing potential for a powerful, quippy Iron Man.

While RDJ excelled as Tony Stark, actors like Leonardo DiCaprio, Clive Owen, and Daniel Craig could have brought different dynamics to the role.

It's hard to imagine anyone else playing Iron Man other than Robert Downey Jr., but the esteemed actor was far from being the only valid choice for the role. Today, Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark is fondly remembered for being the Marvel Cinematic Universe's flagship character for years, not to mention one of the greatest superhero casting choices of all time. It's easy to forget that in 2008, casting Downey for Iron Man was a massive gamble for Marvel Studios, one that luckily paid off.

Considered a possible optics risk at the time, Robert Downey Jr. wasn't the only one the Marvel Cinematic Universe had its eyes on to establish as Tony Stark. Earlier iterations of the Iron Man script had previously circulated as far back as the 90s, with several big name actors either attached or screen tested at various points in time. Beyond these close casting calls that nearly resulted in a different Iron Man, there were a handful of stars in 2008 who may have worked just as well, though they were never officially in talks for the role.

Related 10 Hardest Marvel Roles To Recast In The Rumored MCU Reboot A Marvel Cinematic Universe reboot is rumored to be on the way after Avengers: Secret Wars, but some characters would be difficult to recast.

15 Tom Cruise

Was Nearly Signed On To A Different Iron Man Script

Long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe had even been conceived, an earlier version of a script for Iron Man was circulated circa 1997, co-written by Stan Lee himself. The pre-MCU standalone movie approached Tom Cruise, whose ability to convey a fast-thinking and charismatic hero has already been well-documented in the Mission Impossible movies. While Cruise ultimately bowed out of the project, being unimpressed by the story as a whole (via ComicBookMovie.com), his trademark intensity and proclivity for death-defying stunt work would've made for an interesting take on Tony Stark.

Related Iron Man Movies, Ranked From Worst To Best Iron Man is arguably the most iconic character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and each of his three solo movies is incredibly different.

14 Timothy Olyphant

An Underrated Choice For Tony Stark

Of all the actors to be considered for Tony Stark, Timothy Olyphant was one of the contenders to have gotten the closest. Iron Man director Jon Favreau auditioned Olyphant for Tony Stark, only for his performance to be blown out of the water by Robert Downey Jr., who also auditioned on the same day. Olyphant was known at the time for his strong, silent character on the TV Western Justified, but his comedic and action chops demonstrated since on shows like Santa Clarita Diet and Favreau's own The Mandalorian suggest a powerful, quippy Iron Man performance was possible.

13 Nicholas Cage

Nearly Got The Chance To Channel His Passion For Comics

Having long been a passionate fan of comics, Nicholas Cage's very name is a Marvel reference, making him an obvious contender for a major Marvel role like Iron Man. Despite being in talks to take over for Cruise in the 1997 Stan Lee script, Cage's commitments to playing a different hero, Ghost Rider, ultimately got in the way of his time as Iron Man. It would've been interesting to see Cage channel his trademark eccentric mannerisms and clear devotion to comic books into a more major superhero role like Tony Stark.

12 Hugh Jackman

The Australian Movie Star Could Have Played Two Iconic Heroes

In the world of superhero movies, Hugh Jackman's storied career as Wolverine is a hall-of-fame performance that needs no introduction. But the Australian actor was nearly attached to an Iron Man movie, only turning it down due to the already enormous commitment of playing Wolverine in the X-Men films. That being said, his experience with playing showboat performers in films like The Greatest Showman and The Prestige might've been great inspiration to draw on for the often egotistical and self-aggrandizing Iron Man, a stark contrast to the gruff, no-nonsense Wolverine.

11 Matthew McConaughey

Would've Had The Range For A Complex Tony Stark

Matthew McConaughey may not have ever breached the conversation in Hollywood for an Iron Man actor, but in 2008, the lauded movie star could've been a natural choice. Despite not typically gravitating to Blockbuster tentpole films, McConaughey has displayed an incredible range of acting skills that could've each come together for a different aspect of Tony Stark. His performance as the aggressive capitalist Mark Hanna in The Wolf of Wall Street would do wonders for Tony Stark's billionaire playboy side, but his quiet maturity in films like Interstellar would balance out his Iron Man with genuine moments of raw emotion.

McConaughey has spoken about how he approached Marvel with the desire to play Bruce Banner but was turned down.

10 Leonardo DiCaprio

The Prestigious Actor Is A Natural Leading Man

When 2008's Iron Man was still in its earliest phases of development, Leonardo DiCaprio was yet another name to be floated by the nascent Marvel Studios. While his involvement never got much further past the ideation phase, just like McCougnahey, his work in The Wolf of Wall Street could've translated excellently to the corporate giant Tony Stark. With "Leo-mania" still being a fresher phenomenon in 2008, a mere ten years after Titanic, the MCU could've harnessed DiCaprio's centerpiece performance as Iron Man, which could've made the franchise even more popular than it is today.

9 Sam Rockwell

Showed Flashes Of Iron Man Promise As Justin Hammer

Despite being beaten out in the end by Robert Downey Jr.'s unmistakably phenomenal performance, Sam Rockwell as a personal favorite for Favreau for Iron Man. Even if he missed out on being Tony Stark, he got to enter the MCU as Justin Hammer, in many ways the character's villainous, if still charismatic and comedic, dark reflection. Rockwell's infectiously fun performance as Justin Hammer is one of the most underrated MCU villains, and it's easy to see how he could've tweaked it for a surprisingly effective leading role.

8 Johnny Depp

No Stranger To Franchises

Johnny Depp is a veritable chameleon in Hollywood, able to tweak his sensibilities from quirky to serious to downright charming at the drop of a hat. Depp proved he could carry a franchise with his unforgettable Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, without which it's safe to say the seafaring series wouldn't have had nearly as much success. If 2008 wasn't the height of the Pirates series, it's not hard to imagine Depp being able to carry an early MCU as a lovably cocky Tony Stark, layering the character with the actor's trademark odd neuroses.

Related 10 Celebrities You Forgot Are in The MCU There are so many cameos throughout the MCU, and it's easy to forget these 10 celebrities made brief appearances in various Marvel projects.

7 Jon Hamm

Basically Played Tony Stark For Years

While Jon Hamm has yet to enter a major superhero franchise, his most well-known character is a dead ringer for Tony Stark's messy, goal-oriented business executive misgivings. Hamm played Don Draper, the charismatic lead of Mad Men, as unnervingly vicious and self-satisfying while still tenderly sympathetic. There's no denying that Hamm's ability to demonstrate suave sophistication alongside a sense of underlying danger would have made him a great prospect for Tony Stark, had he been able to balance Marvel with Mad Men.

6 Rob Lowe

Might've Taken The Spotlight From His Former Castmate

Interestingly enough, Rob Lowe and Robert Downey Jr. were classmates at Santa Monica High School, but that's far from the only thing they had in common. Rumors of Rob Lowe's name being mentioned for Tony Stark as early as the set of 2005's Fantastic Four had circulated in the past (via EOnline). While Lowe isn't much of a movie star, his dashing good looks, comedic timing, and surprisingly intense intervals of serious delivery on TV shows like Parks and Rec and The West Wing suggest he could've been an excellent Iron Man.

5 Bradley Cooper

Could Have Been A Billionaire Instead Of A Racoon

Bradley Cooper has made his mark on the MCU by voicing Rocket in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, but he could have made an incredible Iron Man, too. Cooper has incredible variety in his filmography, but he's repeatedly shown off a few traits that seem perfect for Stark. Cooper has undeniable and effortless charm, and he knows how to play someone aware of being the cooler guy in the room.

However, roles like his character in Silver Linings Playbook also show his ability to portray deep troubles suppressed underneath a confident visage. One flaw of Tony Stark's portrayal in the MCU is that his substance abuse was fairly glossed over, and Cooper could have likely done a wonderful job had he been given a chance to bring that side of the character to life. However, Rocket Racoon became a surprise breakout star of the MCU, so Cooper's talents were put to good use elsewhere.

4 Josh Brolin

Could Have Been A Marvel Hero Instead Of Its Biggest Villain

Josh Brolin may be famous in the MCU for providing the voice and motion-capture work for Thanos, but the veteran actor could have also made for a great Tony Stark. In way, Brolin may have been a strong opposite to RDJ in many ways. While the decision to cast RDJ was seen as a bit of a risk given his off-screen troubles in the years before Iron Man and his fall from public stardom, Brolin has been consistently outputting great work for decades.

However, Brolin would have been a very different Stark. While it's hard to imagine Tony without RDJ's signature wit, the character had usually been written as much more of a straightforward, confident businessman in Marvel Comics. Brolin has comedy chops, but his Stark would have likely been more serious, straightforward, and intense in this fictitious alternate casting. How that would have affected the early MCU would be interesting to see in and of itself.

In addition to playing Thanos in the MCU, Brolin plays the time-traveling mutant Cable in Deadpool 2.

3 Clive Owen

Has The Tony Stark Charm

Despite starring in several acclaimed movies over his decades-long career, Clive Owen just hasn't found that mass-appeal role to break him into true household name status. Iron Man could have provided that. Owen has split his career between dramas and unique action flicks, both of which are appropriate for an MCU lead. However, like many other alternate castings, Owen would have been a very different Stark than RDJ.

Owen doesn't usually play his character as a fast-talking jokesters, so it's more likely his Tony Stark would have a very different vibe. Owen thrives when playing the charming rogue or the smartest man in the room, both of which could lead to interesting MCU leads. Moreover, Owen and Downey Jr. are the same age, so the casting timeline makes perfect sense.

2 Daniel Craig

A More Comic Book Accurate Tony Stark

Though known by many as James Bond, Daniel Craig has proved that he's got far more range than an MI6 spy. Craig's filmography was already quite varied in the middle 2000s, and he's gone on to star in projects as wildly diverse as the classic murder mystery Knives Out movies and the oddball heist film Logan Lucky. There's no reason to think he couldn't have easily added Iron Man to the list.

Like a few other potential alternate castings, it's easy to imagine Craig playing the more stoically confident Stark popular before RDJ put his own spin on the character. Craig has shown the ability to play more outgoing characters (Knives Out's Benoit Blanc being a great example), but he's demonstrated time and time again that he can nail the strong, nearly silent type. Even then, though, his natural charm and charisma do the talking for him.

1 Brendan Fraser

A Proven Action Star

RDJ's turn as Tony Stark completely turned his career around, and it's not too difficult to imagine it could have done the same for The Mummy star Brendan Fraser. A combination of unfortunate off-screen circumstances stunted Fraser's career after The Mummy franchise and a few other projects through little fault of the actor, leaving him looking for a big comeback project (which he's since found in Doom Patrol, The Whale, and more). Iron Man could have shot him back onto the A-Lists in 2008.

Fraser had an attractive set of qualities for a character like Iron Man. First, he's no stranger to action-heavy roles, and he'd likely be right at home in a superhero project (even if Iron Man requires much more CGI and green screen work than most of Fraser's earlier work). Moreover, while his style of humor is quite different than RDJ, he's shown the ability to crack jokes and turn on the charm in equal measure. Also importantly, he's a proven leading man, and Iron Man would have been a very different but likely successful project had be been involved.