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Robert Downey Jr. is the ultimate Iron Man. There are no arguments for that. He didn’t just play Tony Stark—he became him. That swagger, that wit, that genius billionaire vibe? All RDJ. But what if history played out differently? What if, instead of suiting up in red and gold, he picked up a bow and arrow or swung through the city in spandex?
Believe it or not, Downey Jr. once had his eye on two very different Marvel roles before fully embracing Iron Man. Honestly, imagining him as anyone but Stark is weird. But we’re talking about a man who turned a C-list comic book hero into one of the biggest pop culture icons ever. So, who’s to say he couldn’t have pulled it off?
One of his picks is every kid’s favorite web-slinger, and the other? A certain sharp-shooting Avenger. Before he became Marvel royalty, Robert Downey Jr. was not Hollywood’s golden boy. His career was on shaky ground, thanks to some well-documented struggles. But the actor had talent. And in 2005, he starred in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, a cult-favorite crime comedy that should’ve been his big comeback. Unfortunately, the box office had other plans.
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But silver linings. Because that same movie put him on Iron Man director Jon Favreau’s radar, the latter saw something in RDJ that screamed Tony Stark; the rest is history. Of course, getting the role wasn’t a walk in the park. Marvel wasn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet for him at first. But the Hollywood star went all in, screen-testing with everything he had. And, well, we all know how that turned out.
But before Iron Man locked him down, Downey Jr. considered playing other heroes. Spider-Man is Marvel’s golden boy. The friendly neighborhood hero that everyone wanted to be as a kid. And Downey Jr. was no exception. In an interview with BBC, he said:
“I can’t think of any red-blooded American boy that didn’t imagine themselves as Spider-Man growing up.” But picturing him as Peter Parker? That’s a bit of a stretch. Tony Stark’s got that cocky genius thing going on, but Peter? He’s the awkward, dorky underdog. Besides, by the time the MCU kicked off, Downey Jr. was already way past high school. Also, can you imagine him delivering pizzas in Spider-Man 2? Didn’t think so.
Now, if you had to bet on RDJ playing another Avenger, you probably wouldn’t guess Hawkeye. But he liked the idea of being Marvel’s resident archer. And honestly? It makes sense. Rob added in the same interview: “However, looking back on it now – also because I’m just such a Jeremy Renner fan, and he made it so cool, particularly when he turns into Ronin – I would say Hawkeye would be my go-to.”
Renner did make Hawkeye look incredible in Endgame. But still, it’s hard to imagine Downey Jr. trading high-tech suits for a quiver of arrows. Tony Stark builds world-changing weapons. Still, the idea of the Iron Man star’s signature wit mixed with Hawkeye’s dry humor? That could’ve been fun. Maybe he would’ve brought a little more snark to Clint Barton. Perhaps he would’ve convinced Marvel to give Hawkeye his own movie sooner. Who knows?
At the end of the day, Robert Downey Jr. was meant to be Iron Man. He made a lesser-known comic book character a household name and turned the MCU into the juggernaut it is today. Spider-Man and Hawkeye are cool characters. But they were never going to be his destiny. He may not have played other Marvel heroes, but now, he’s set to embrace something darker—Doctor Doom in Avengers.
For more such stories, check out Hollywood News
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