Did you know Robert Downey Jr was almost about to play one of the best villains in MCU?
You say Robert Downey Jr, we say Tony Stark aka Iron Man!
For MCU fans, it’s almost impossible to imagine the Marvel Cinematic Universe without Iron Man, or more specifically, without Downey Jr. playing his unforgettable role as the superhero. However, did you know that the actor was almost cast in another role, and that too as a villain? Yes, that’s right!
Read on to know more about this.
Robert Downey Jr was supposed to play Fantastic Four villain Doctor Doom
During a recent interview with Marvel Entertainment to celebrate Iron Man’s 15th anniversary, the film’s director and co-star Jon Favreau, and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige talked about Downey’s appearance in the fan-favorite movie . During their discussion, the duo revealed that while Favreau wanted Downey to play Tony Stark, he was almost cast as Fantastic Four villain Doctor Doom.
This trivia was also mentioned by Favreau in the 2021 book Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but this time he delved into more detail during his conversation with Feige.
“I remember Robert coming in for a general [audition] on that, and I remember you all had met with him for, like, Doctor Doom, or something, on another project… I think he came through on… maybe, Fantastic Four.”
Jon Favreau
Doctor Doom in the Fantastic Four franchise
Doctor Doom was eventually portrayed by Julian McMahon in the 2005 movie Fantastic Four. McMahon also reprized the role for the film’s sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, which was released in 2007. However, since these movies didn’t make too much money at the box office, they didn’t make a third installment.
The movie franchise was rebooted again in 2015 with Tony Kebbell playing the role of Doctor Doom in the one-off movie.
And now, according to Comic Book Resources, Fantastic Four will go on floors again in January 2024 and be released in February 2025. There is no news yet on who will play the role of Doctor Doom this time around.
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Did you know Robert Downey Jr was almost about to play one of the best villains in MCU?
