After dropping out of ‘Gravity’ because he wasn’t comfortable, Robert Downey Jr. almost watched Tom Cruise take his role again.

It looks like Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise are just meant to have their names and roles linked together. Even before RDJ landed the role of Iron Man, Cruise was already in the running to play him. That casting choice still gets talked about when people discuss the superhero. But not long after that, both actors found themselves in a similar situation again.

This time, the difference was that even though Cruise was being considered to replace Downey in another movie, someone else ended up getting the role. The thing is, RDJ had already started working on the project, when he suddenly dropped out. So, what really went down?

Robert Downey Jr. Was Originally Cast In Gravity, But He Had To Drop Out

Robert Downey Jr. in Avengers: Endgame (Credits: Marvel)

It looks like Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise share something that directors really notice. Both have been up for the same role more than once, and not many people know about it.

After Marvel, it was director Alfonso Cuarón who decided to take a chance on RDJ, but things didn’t go as planned. The 2013 film Gravity, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, went on to win seven Oscars — the sci-fi movie was a huge hit with both audiences and critics. However, the production initially kicked off with Downey in the lead role.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly, but a certain detail started to bother the Iron Man actor. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cuarón mentioned that he wasn’t comfortable with the technology they were using for the film:

I think Robert is fantastic if you give him the freedom to completely breathe and improvise and change stuff. [But] we tried one of these technologies, and it was not compatible. After that, we [had a] week that we pretended as if nothing was happening, and then we talked and said, ‘This is not going to work. This is tough’.

The reason was reportedly claustrophobia. Downey also discussed it on The Howard Stern Show, saying that he had been involved with the project even before Angelina Jolie — who was supposed to play Bullock’s role — was considered to star with him. He explained:

Everybody winds up doing what they are supposed to do. Sometimes someone gets in a motorcycle accident, and someone else ends up doing the part, and you say, ‘I couldn’t have imagined anyone else there’.

I went to do a test with a new sort of multi-spherical camera for how they were going to do the CGI, and I’m one of those guys who can be comfortably uncomfortable pretty easily. I went in in the morning to do it, went in for about 20 minutes and said, ‘This is crazy, how much longer is this?’ They said, ‘Another four or five hours?’ I said, ‘No, it isn’t.’ You have to have boundaries. Leave before you flip out.

After Downey’s departure, Cruise was considered, as Cuarón wanted someone with a big name in the industry. Tom Hanks and even Denzel Washington were also options. Ultimately, the director chose Clooney, since the actor was already familiar with the project and was eager to help however he could.

In the end, it’s interesting to see how Cruise and Downey found themselves in the same situation yet again, but can anyone imagine Cruise as Tony Stark? Because that was the original plan.

How Robert Downey Jr. Became Iron Man Instead Of Tom Cruise

Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man (Credits: Marvel)

Iron Man was probably the character that left the biggest mark on the MCU and sparked a revolution. But it’s tough to imagine that happening without RDJ’s influence. Even now, it’s hard to separate Tony Stark from the actor, almost like the role was made for him.

But before all that, Cruise was actually being considered to play the superhero. This news might surprise some, while it’s old news for Marvel fans, but the reason behind the casting change isn’t often discussed.

According to the book The Reign of Marvel Studios by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards, the behind-the-scenes dynamics at the studio were revealed, and they stated that the reason for the change was purely financial.

Cruise “flirted with the idea of playing [Tony] Stark,” but Kevin Feige, president of the MCU, provided an even clearer explanation: (via Comic Book Movie)

Cruise’s asking fee at the time was more than even a profitable studio like Fox was willing to risk on an untested superhero property.

At that time, Disney still didn’t own the rights to the MCU, which makes it all the more understandable. Casting an A-list actor was totally unfeasible.

As a result, the studio started looking for smaller names and ultimately decided to bet on Downey, despite all the personal issues he had been dealing with in the past. In the end, this turned out to be one of the best decisions — if not the best — in the MCU.

Gravity is available for streaming on Max. Iron Man is available for streaming on Disney+.