Former Marvel Studios president David Maisel has revealed the studio’s board thought he was “crazy” for casting Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man over Timothy Olyphant.
Maisel, who pioneered the Marvel Cinematic Universe, told The New Yorker that Marvel got the ball rolling on the MCU by convening focus groups of children to see which superhero they preferred. Iron Man was a clear favorite, but now they had to find the right actor for the role.
Casting Iron Man was a difficult choice, but the title role ultimately came down to Robert Downey Jr. and Timothy Olyphant. Marvel’s board had some reservations about choosing Downey Jr., who, as the outlet points out, was “in a career slump after years of drug arrests and rehab.”
Maisel, however, was confident that Downey Jr. was the right choice. He and Jon Favreau, the director of Iron Man, advocated for Downey Jr. to take the lead role, but the board thought it was a “crazy” decision and needed further convincing to sign off on the casting choice.
“My board thought I was crazy to put the future of the company in the hands of an addict,” Maisel admitted in speaking to the outlet. “I helped them understand how great he was for the role. We all had confidence that he was clean and would stay clean.”
Iron Man was the first entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Robert Downey Jr. played a critical role in the success and expansion of the franchise. Favreau and Kevin Feige recently reflected on the now-iconic casting and how it attracted more big names to start signing on.
Favreau directed Downey again in Iron Man 2 before handing the character’s solo adventures to Shane Black. The Iron Man films are available on Disney+, along with most other MCU entries, including Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which joined the library on May 17.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.
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