Iron Man’s Original Casting Plan Prove You Shouldn’t Worry About Phase 5 Casting Issues

Casting concerns for MCU Phase 5 are pretty common, but the original plan for Iron Man helps prove that people needn’t worry. The MCU cast is about as iconic as their characters, with the likes of Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, and Robert Downey Jr being widely lauded as perfect for their respective roles. Nearly two decades later, the pressure is constantly on Marvel to do the fan-favorite characters of its comics justice with perfect actors.

Recently, MCU recasts and reconfigurations have been relatively common, with Kang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors being the most high-profile example. Upcoming movies like Thunderbolts, however, have also hit roadblocks, with the presumed inclusion of Steven Yeun’s Sentry being curtailed by Yeun’s departure. These notable casting alterations have led to some concerns regarding the franchise’s future – but Iron Man’s own casting journey should help to assuage any concerns raised by recent events.

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Robert Downey Jr. Wasn’t The MCU’s Original Iron Man Casting

Despite being one of the most iconic Marvel castings, Robert Downey Jr wasn’t always slated for the role of Tony Stark. The original MCU Iron Man pick was Clive Owen, who is most well known for his roles as Theo Faron in Children of Men and Dwight in Sin City, both notably much darker films than Iron Man. While Clive Owen is a terrific actor in his own right (and Favreau and Feige’s top pick), it’s safe to say that his rejection of the role led to the best possible outcome.

Robert Downey Jr’s career was hardly in its early stages when he took on the role of Iron Man, but his tenure as Tony Stark was pretty career-defining. The MCU is now synonymous with his portrayal of the genius hero, with his death at the end of Avengers: Endgame barely having time to sink in before fans began clamoring for his return through some multiversal shenanigans. Although Owen would undoubtedly have brought another dimension to the role, this near-miss should be a big sign that cast alterations aren’t always bad omens.

How MCU’s Iron Man Casting Shows Phase 5’s Recasts Will Be Just Fine

Robert Downey Jr’s last-minute arrival to the MCU came to define an era, and would never have been possible without some casting alterations along the way. This goes to show that the brains behind Marvel’s casting decisions, while not infallible, are pretty trustworthy when it comes to finding the right fit, even with second choices. This means that recasting for roles like Sentry and Kang should be viewed with an air of excitement instead of anxiety.

Fan casting has already been rife for these roles, raising plenty of viable possibilities for the future of the MCU. The best part is that, even though Kang has been introduced already, the nature of the multiverse and its countless variants of beloved characters is ready-made to facilitate new faces. Similarly, the nature of Thunderbolts introducing new character means that (outside established characters like Yelena and Red Guardian) the possibilities are still currently limitless, and hope lingers for a decision like the one to cast Robert Downey Jr.