Right from the start, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been loaded with incredibly talented actors playing the most iconic superheroes, as well as these unforgettable and subtle villains. It all started in 2008 when Iron Man It made its way to theaters and launched the franchise, with its star, Robert Downey Jr., given even more chance. Although Downey’s Tony Stark has become one of the most beloved heroes in the history of superhero movies, another icon of the industry was once associated with the portrayal of the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist…and that man was Tom Cruise.
The story of Tom Cruise’s involvement with the MCU goes back nearly 20 years, long before Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios changed the superhero movie scene, and even longer before that. Top Gun: Maverick The actor was rumored to be playing the Superior Iron Man in the heavy movie Doctor Strange in a multiverse of madness. With all this history, some might wonder what Cruz himself said about one of the biggest “what ifs” in movie history. Well, look no further…
Before Robert Downey Jr took over the role, there were long rumors that Tom Cruise would be playing Iron Man
The list of actors who have played Marvel characters is almost littered with some of the most recognizable faces (and voices) today, and at the top is Tom Cruise. Back in 2006, we covered some of the speculation surrounding the ageless actor portraying Tony Stark in the yet-to-be-released Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to multiple reports at the time (most of which have been lost to time in the ever-changing internet since then) Cruz’s interest in playing Iron Man has been rumored since 2004, when Jon Favreau first came to direct. the film.
With Paramount Pictures producing the movie, it made sense to have one of the studio’s biggest stars front and center. However, the role wasn’t meant to be, and the role went to Robert Downey Jr.
Tom Cruise expressed doubts about the project’s work at the time
Although there has been speculation that Tom Cruise will drive Iron Man Film in 2006, the actor expressed his doubts about the project over a year ago when he was asked about the long-rumored project. during a visit to war of the worlds set in February 2005, IGN Asked by Cruz about the possibility of playing Tony Stark and whether the movie would come to fruition, he replied:
[Marvel Studios] It came to me at a certain point, and when I do something, I want to do it right. If I stick with something, it has to be done in a way that I know will be something special. And while it was lining up, I didn’t feel like it would work. I need to be able to make decisions and make the movie as great as it can be, and it didn’t go down that road that way.
Later in the interview, Cruz clarified that he never made a movie just to make a movie and that he needed to be interested in the story. When it comes to Iron Man He said he hadn’t been “on the go” yet. But this wouldn’t be the first time Cruz has been attached to portraying Iron Man, and it wasn’t the last time he’s talked about it.
Tom Cruise later said he wasn’t even close to playing Iron Man
Speculation surrounding Tom Cruise and his involvement with the Marvel Cinematic Universe will continue to creep in in the years following those initial reports and comments, including in April 2018, in an interview with ComicBook.com. When asked how close he came to playing Tony Stark before Robert Downey Jr came into the picture, Cruz said:
I’m not close, and I love Robert Downey Jr. I can’t imagine anyone else in this role, and I think it’s perfect for him.
In addition to sharing his praise tropical thunder Cruz said he wouldn’t “rule out anything” regarding appearing in a superhero movie sometime in the future.
Doctor Strange in the multiverse of Madness, a screenwriter who originally wanted Tom Cruise as Iron Man in the MCU
The hype surrounding the entire “Tom Cruise as Iron Man” business has faded somewhat over the years, but has reached new heights in the lead up to Doctor Strange in a multiverse of madnesswith rumors spreading that Mission: Impossible The star will play the “Supreme Iron Man” in the mind-blowing MCU movie. Much of the speculation came from a scene in the movie’s trailer that showed Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) accompanied by the Guardians of Ultron, which fans believe can only be built by Tony Stark. These rumors were eliminated by screenwriter Michael Waldron in May 2022 rolling rock An interview where he revealed that this was not the case at all:
Yes, that was completely made up. I mean, there are no cut-outs for Tom Cruise! But I love Tom Cruise, and I said so [Marvel Studios president] Kevin [Feige] At one point, I was like, “Can we get Tom Cruise’s Iron Man?” I remember reading about it in Ain’t It Cool News back in the day, that Tom Cruise would be Iron Man.
Although he knew that Tom Cruise’s Supreme Iron Man wouldn’t appear in the movie, it’s easy to see that Waldron was excited even when considering the character’s possible appearance.
Tom Cruise’s MCU debut wasn’t an option due to availability
In the Rolling Stone interview cited above, Michael Waldron was asked if anyone had brought up the idea to Tom Cruise in its early development stages, and he responded by saying that Tom Cruise was shooting Mission: Impossible – Dead Account Part 1 And the The second part At the time, which made the whole situation difficult:
I do not believe that. I just don’t think it was an option at all, due to availability.
With a cruise schedule that was all out of control with different Mission: Impossible Movies and May 2022 release from Top Gun: MaverickIt’s easy to see how difficult it would be to make him appear in a short veil.
While Tom Cruise has yet to appear as Iron Man, that doesn’t mean the prolific actor won’t appear in some form or form in one of the many upcoming Marvel films. With the likes of John Krasinski, Patrick Stewart, and Ryan Reynolds already out or slated to appear in the MCU sometime in the future, anything could happen, right?
