Kevin Feige Reveals Why Tom Cruise Didn't End Up Starring in IRON MAN

When Marvel was first looking at making an Iron Man movie, Tom Cruise was considered for the lead role of Tony Stark aka Iron Man. This is one of those fun “What If” scenarios because the MCU would’ve played out a lot differently. I also don’t think Cruise would’ve stuck around as long as Robert Downey Jr. did. That was such a huge commitment.

So, what happened with Cruise? Why didn’t he take on the role? According to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, the actor’s asking fee was way too high. This information was recently published in the book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards. The book says:

“Ten years earlier, when the Iron Man rights were at 20th Century Fox, Tom Cruise, then thirty-four, had flirted with the idea of playing Stark. According to Feige, however, 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.”

You know, it’s a good thing that Cruise didn’t work out for Iron Man because who knows how things would’ve turned out in the long run! Had that Iron Man movie been made at 20th Century Fox, when it was Marvel’s time to start making their own Marvel movies, they would’ve launched it with a completely different film. My guess is that it would’ve been Captain America.

I’d love to take a peak at the alternate universe where Cruise did make the Iron Man movie and see how things would’ve played out for Marvel after that.

Via: CinemaBlend