How Fantastic Four might have cost Robert Downey Jr. his Iron Man role

In what proved to be one of the most influential casting decisions of all time, Marvel decided that Robert Downey Jr. would make the perfect Tony Stark for 2008 superhero movie, Iron Man.

Stark is undoubtedly Downey Jr.'s most famous and celebrated role - one that launched him into megastardom. Due to his problems with addiction and troubles with the law in the past, the actor was nearly not hired by Marvel.

What are the top 10 most popular shows on Amazon Prime right now?

Tuesday 10 February 2026, 14:38

What are the top 10 most popular shows on Netflix right now?

Monday 9 February 2026, 15:27

It was the insistence and persistence of director Jon Favreau that eventually wore Marvel bosses down. Remarkably, Downey Jr. was only paid an up front fee of $500k to play Tony Stark in the first Iron Man.

By the time the first Avengers hit theatres, he was taking home a cool $50m.

Favreau has recently revealed that Downey Jr. actually auditioned for the role of Doctor Doom in 2005's Fantastic Four. Had he got that role, it was unlikely he would have been considered for another huge Marvel role like Iron Man so soon.

"I remember that Robert had come in for a general on it and I remember you had all met with him already for like Doctor Doom or something, on another project," he said on Marvel's YouTube channel.

"I think he had come through on Fantastic Four so everybody sort of knew who he was. I remember sitting down with the guy and I was like 'Jeez, he's just got it in him, he's got that spark in him in his eye and he's ready.'"

The Iron Man director went on to say that the casting of Downey Jr. proved so perfect that it made making the movie an easy process thereafter.

Who will play the Fantastic Four?

Now that the Fantastic Four are set to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the casting rumour mill has went into overdrive.

John Krasinski made a cameo as Reed Richards in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, but it is unclear at this point whether he will return for the role or whether it was a one-time gig. Numerous actors have been linked with Richards, including Glenn Howerton, Adam Driver, Timothee Chalamet, Penn Badgley, Andrew Lincoln, Diego Luna and Tom Ellis.

Reports circulated last month that Marvel had made their decision on the casting...

Adam Driver as Reed Richards
Margot Robbie as Sue Storm
Paul Mescal as Johnny Storm
Daveed Diggs as Ben Grimm