Recasting Iron Man For The MCU Reboot

When it was announced that the first Iron Man film would kickstart Marvel’s MCU, it seemed like a bit of a strange choice. The character was largely seen as a second-tier Marvel property, far behind the likes of Spider-Man and the X-Men. Now, almost 15 years later, Iron Man is regarded as the film that put Marvel Studios on the map, with the 2008 film grossing $500 million at the global box office and making its star, Robert Downey Jr., a household name in the process. Today, Iron Man is considered one of the MCU’s most valuable franchises and the film that set up its success.