Before Robert Downey Jr. took on the role of Iron Man, Tom Cruise and Nicolas Cage were considered for the Marvel superhero role. Others like Jim Caviezel, Timothy Olyphant, Sam Rockwell, and Clive Owen were also considered, but Cruise was under consideration for the longest time. He appears to be the only one who could’ve convincingly replaced Downey Jr. as Tony Stark.
Jeff Vintar and Iron Man co-creator Stan Lee ended up writing a story with Cruise in mind as the tech billionaire Tony Stark. However, it didn’t eventually pan out. In 2005, Cruise revealed to IGN why the plans for his Iron Man role didn’t pan out. He shared:
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.
While rumors said that Cruise actively pursued the role and that he was close to getting it, he revealed that the rumors weren’t true. Cruise shared in an interview with the podcast Phase Zero, “Not close. I love Robert Downey Jr., and I can’t imagine anyone else doing that role, and I think it’s perfect for him” (via PEOPLE).
Cruise’s previous action movie roles, including Top Gun and Mission: Impossible, made him a safe bet for the role. While he would have excelled in the action scenes as Iron Man, it was Downey Jr.’s cheeky sarcasm that Cruise would have found hard to match. Cruise’s portrayal would’ve been very different, but he could’ve still made the movies into a huge success.
The American Made actor exudes charm and charisma in any role that he plays. Playing a billionaire tech genius, who is secretly a superhero, is right up its alley. As for Tony’s sharp tongue, Cruise can definitely match the energy of the character, even though not as good as Downey Jr.
One of the standout aspects of the Sherlock Holmes actor as the Marvel superhero was his vulnerability. His recent movies, particularly Mission: Impossible and Jack Reacher, have portrayed him as this macho character, with zero vulnerability.
However, Cruise has brilliantly played flawed characters in the past. His good old movies, including Born on the 4th of July, Rain Man, The Color of Money, Magnolia, Taps, and Jerry Maguire, have portrayed this side of the actor. Cruise could’ve tapped into that older version of him to make Iron Man as appealing as Downey Jr.’s portrayal.
What Might Tom Cruise’s MCU Have Looked Like?
Tom Cruise’s MCU would’ve looked very different. The role would’ve come at a time when Cruise was riddled with controversies over his beliefs and off-screen antics. Cruise would’ve gotten a redemption story like Downey Jr. through the role of Iron Man. However, some fans believed that Cruise’s ego would have made the Avengers ensemble very different.
With Downey Jr.’s casting, Chris Evans’s Captain America and Chris Hemsworth’s Thor had an equal footing with him in the Avengers team. However, Cruise’s larger-than-life persona and star status would have unintentionally made him the singular focus of the group.
When the Avengers potentially made it to the Civil War storyline with Cruise’s Iron Man, there wouldn’t have been a fair Iron Man vs Captain America division among fans. The tables would have turned in favor of Cruise’s character because of his fandom. It would’ve further affected the storylines of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
One potential problem that fans saw with Cruise’s casting was how he would’ve moved on from the movies, unless it was centered around Iron Man. Moreover, they suggested that Cruise would’ve creatively gotten involved in the movies, disrupting the vision of the Marvel filmmakers.
Fans also noted how Downey Jr. became synonymous with Tony Stark, something they doubt Cruise would have ever achieved. Some shared that it would’ve been a fun project for Cruise, whereas RDJ needed the role badly to save his reputation.
Tom Cruise Was Later Considered as an Iron Man Variant
Tom Cruise in a still from Edge of Tomorrow | Credits: Warner Bros.
Earlier, Michael Waldron told Rolling Stone that he was interested in bringing Cruise as an Iron Man variant. He revealed that he had contacted Marvel boss Kevin Feige to see if he could get the actor for a cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
He shared, “I love Tom Cruise, and I said to [Marvel Studios president] Kevin [Feige] at one point, I was like, ‘Could we get Tom Cruise’s Iron Man?’” However, he shared that Marvel didn’t reach out to the actor because of his “lack of availability.”
However, fans hoped that he could make an appearance someday, since Robert Downey Jr. retired from the role. However, with his return to the role, it appears that Cruise might not have a chance anymore in the role of Iron Man. While we know that RDJ was returning as Doctor Doom, his recent posts hinted that he might also be reprising Iron Man.
Robert Downey Jr. took to Instagram on Thanksgiving and shared an illustration of Iron Man and Doctor Doom pulling a wishbone apart. Fans started speculating on the return of Iron Man in Avengers: Doomsday. Some shared that he was teasing a connection between the two characters, while others shared that he would probably appear as both characters in the movie.
On Christmas, he shared a similar holiday-themed illustration of Doom and Iron Man. The post showed two ornaments used for Christmas decor, one with the mask of Doom and the other with the mask of Iron Man. The image caption read, “SILVER & GOLD…”
Following Downey Jr.’s hints on social media, many insiders claimed that Downey Jr. would also play Iron Man in the movies. Insider James Mack shared in response to a fan that the actor was “obviously” donning the role of Iron Man in Doomsday.
However, the insider also claimed that Doom and Iron Man may have no connection in the movies. RDJ’s presence in the MCU, even as the supervillain Doom, keeps the door open for the arrival of Tony Stark variants or his symbolic return.
What do you think of Tom Cruise’s potential role as Iron Man in the MCU? Let us know in the comments below!
All Iron Man movies are now available for streaming on Disney+.
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