VISIONQUEST Showrunner Wanted Robert Downey Jr. Back as Tony Stark, But Marvel's TV Budget Killed the Cameo
Apparently, getting Robert Downey Jr. to record a few lines as Tony Stark was too expensive for Marvel's VisionQuest. That's pretty funny considering the studio shelled out $100 million to bring the actor back for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. You'd think they could've talked him into spending 20 minutes in a recording booth.
VisionQuest showrunner Terry Matalas recently revealed that he wanted Downey Jr. to reprise his role as Tony Stark for a brief voice cameo that would've explored the character's shady business dealings before he became Iron Man. Unfortunately, the idea never made it past the show's financial reality.
During an appearance on The Brandon Davis Show, Matalas was asked whether Marvel had any restrictions on showing Tony Stark in the series. It turns out there weren't any rules preventing his appearance. The problem was figuring out how to pay for it.
Matalas explained: "You know, things cost money. We're on a television show budget. There was a moment where I wanted to hear Stark call in and talk to Mary McDonnell['s character Katerina Wells] and say, 'Your time's up on this code.'
“And it was the old Tony, it was the Tony before the Jericho missiles. And he's like, 'Sell me the code, so I can turn it into my things.' But, you know, it would have been a big ask to get Downey to come in and do it."
That would've been a great little MCU moment, especially because it involved the Tony Stark we rarely get to see anymore. This was the arrogant weapons manufacturer who hadn't yet experienced the life-changing events of the first Iron Man movie.
The proposed scene also would've connected nicely to the show's exploration of Vision's origins and Stark's involvement in the technology that eventually created him.
While the cameo never happened, Matalas admitted he probably should've taken a shot at making it work. "In retrospect, I actually would have tried having met him now; he's wonderful. But actually it might have taken away from what that story was."
Fair enough, but come on. With what Marvel paid Downey Jr. for his return as Doctor Doom in the next two Avengers movies, the least the guy could've done was throw in a little Tony Stark voice recording if someone asked nicely!
I'm sure they could've figured something out. We're talking about a handful of lines here. Regardless, VisionQuest still managed to expand Tony Stark's MCU history without actually bringing him back.
The series revealed that Stark purchased Markridge Biotech to acquire artificial general intelligence code developed by Dr. Josephine Carrington and Virgil Horton, also known as The Client.
That technology eventually became the foundation for both Vision and Ultron, adding another interesting piece to Stark's complicated legacy.
Of course, fans still got their Robert Downey Jr. appearance, just not the one Matalas originally imagined. In the VisionQuest Episode 8 post-credits scene, Downey's Doctor Doom appeared and awakened Wanda Maximoff, aka Scarlet Witch, following her apparent death beneath Mount Wundagore.
That unexpected return has already sparked speculation about how Wanda and the Maximoff family could factor into Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, with some fans pointing toward a possible Scarlet Witch comic book storyline as inspiration.
Still, I would've loved to hear Downey slip back into that pre-Iron Man Tony Stark personality for one brief scene. It would've been a fun connection to the early MCU and a reminder that Stark was making questionable decisions long before he started building superhero armor.
VisionQuest is streaming now on Disney+ .