Whenever you name Iron Man, you get an image of Robert Downey Jr in that suit. People can never imagine any other actor pulling off Iron Man's role with such grace. Such was the impact created by this legendary actor. But did you know that Robert Downey Jr was not the original choice for the Iron Man Role? Yes, you heard that right. Marvel considered not one, but two other heroes for this role before approaching Robert Downey Jr.
According to the official sources, the makers of Iron Man first approached star hero Tom Cruise to play the role of Iron Man at first. Tom Cruise is one of the top heroes of Hollywood. Marvel thought that he would be the most suitable actor to play Iron Man. He was also a bigger star than Robert Downey Jr. at the time. (he still is the biggest male star in Hollywood). But Tom Cruise denied the offer due to his dissatisfaction with the script.
After that, the makers approached Sam Rockwell to play the role. Things didn't work out, and Rockwell also rejected the offer. But he later appeared as Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2. When both Tom Cruise and Sam Rockwell declined the offer, it landed up in the hands of RDJ.
The makers were earlier skeptical about casting RDJ, due to his background of substance abuse, and the jail sentence he had served. But after casting him in the film, he proved that he was tailor-made for that role. The rest is history. Robert Downey Jr. lived as Iron Man in the film, and he continues to live in the hearts of fans forever as Iron Man.
