Robert Downey Jr. worked extremely hard to make a career as prominent as his. As Iron Man, he made history by leading the biggest franchise in Hollywood. The Marvel Cinematic Universe became a massive hit with the release of 2008’s Iron Man. While it took him a long time to get the hang of how he was going to set up his career, the final strike happened to be with the role of Tony Stark.

Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man

What inspired him to take up the role in the first place happened to be a vision he wanted to set up for his child. After years of playing the character, he parted ways with the genius billionaire leaving a lot of what his character had created for him behind. However, that only opened new gateways for him.

Keanu Reeves Inspired Robert Downey Jr. To Play Iron Man

Robert Downey Jr. revealed in an interview just what inspired him to persuade Jon Favreau to give him the role of Tony Stark. Although his name became one that everyone was aware of thanks to Iron Man, he was already growing in fame before the release of the film. It was movies like Zodiac and A Scanner Darkly that were putting him on the map.

“I originally pursued Iron Man because I had seen Keanu Reeves and Johnny Depp succeed with their own film franchises and I wanted my son to see his dad in that kind of a movie. I’m also proud of the fact that I’m a leading man who can do major blockbusters and be that Harrison Ford kind of guy. It’s not a bad place to be.” 

Seeing movies like Indiana Jones, The Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Matrix made him realize that there were more ways to rise in Hollywood than by doing single movies. Actors like Harrison Ford, Johnny Depp, and Keanu Reeves all built a name for themselves extensively after the rise of their franchises. This gave the idea to Downey as well. He wanted a franchise for himself so that people, especially his son, would look up to him.

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Robert Downey Jr. Had To Fight For His Role As Iron Man

Despite the actor now being the only person anyone could imagine to play Iron Man, during the early stages of development for the film, it was a crucial decision. Jon Favreau was headset to have Robert Downey Jr. play the iconic character because of how open his life had been in front of the public eye. This was a trait similar to Tony Stark’s. He envisioned a lesser-known actor building his name alongside the developing MCU.

Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man

“Jon was in love with the idea of Downey playing the part, and we all felt so sure about him on a creative level.”

Favreau tried his best to convince Marvel Studios why Downey would be the perfect candidate. It wasn’t until the casting director, Sarah Halley Finn, suggested a screen test, that everyone was sure no other actor would be capable of playing Iron Man like Robert Downey Jr. can.

Source: Esquire