Why Iron Man Was The Only Hero To Get 2 Solo Movies Before Marvel’s First Avengers Movie

Iron Man is the most iconic Avenger in the MCU, and Robert Downey Jr. has given insight into one of the biggest early differences between him and his fellow heroes before The Avengers. With the massive popularity that the MCU has amassed across the span of its nearly two decade run, it can be difficult to believe that much of its popularity hinged on one of its first movies. When the first Iron Man movie was released, much about it was considered a risk of sorts – from both Robert Downey Jr’s casting, and the decision to choose a character that general audiences would be less familiar with than the likes of Spider-Man or Captain America. If Tony Stark had not succeeded in capturing viewers’ hearts, it’s very likely MCU as it is known today would not exist.