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Robert Downey Jr. experienced a career resurgence after being cast as the Marvel superhero Iron Man.
But before taking the role, a nervous Downey went to another Marvel superhero in Wesley Snipes for some sage advice.
Robert Downey Jr. almost wasn’t cast in ‘Iron Man’ because of his past
The Marvel film Iron Man offered Downey a career resurgence after the star’s past made some unwilling to take a chance on him. Downey was already a somewhat decorated actor in the 80s and 90s with film credits like Chaplin and Natural Born Killers to his name. But his addiction to drugs and alcohol, in combination with a reckless lifestyle, risked sabotaging his career entirely.
Attempts at trying to get back on a sober track often resulted in a relapse for Downey. In 2003, his drug habit and behavior at the time resulted in his firing from the television show Alley McBeal. According to the New York Times, Downey threw all of his drugs away in the ocean. Afterwards, he would take a vow of sobriety that’s lasted the actor to this day.
Five years later, Downey would find himself cast in the role of a lifetime as the titular character in Iron Man. But in the beginning, Marvel couldn’t imagine Downey being the face of their franchise due to many factors. Including and especially Downey’s reputation. So when Iron Man director Jon Favreau suggested Downey for the role, Marvel was quick to shoot down the idea.
“They wanted me to go with somebody younger and somebody with less of a reputation, and I was like, ‘This could be like casting Johnny Depp in Pirates.’ This could define the movie and bring it out of obscurity and out of this sort of ‘second-rate Spider-Man’ status that it’s [in],’” Favreau once told Superhero Hype.
But the filmmaker was eventually able to convince the studio of Downey’s credibility with a screentest. The decision would not only revitalize Downey’s career, but make Marvel a powerhouse in the film industry.
Robert Downey Jr. asked Wesley Snipes for advice on doing ‘Iron Man’
As eager as Downey was to do the feature, he may have been understandably nervous about the responsibility that came with Iron Man. Eventually, he’d go to another former Marvel superhero for help.
Wesley Snipes portrayed the Marvel superhero and vampire hunter Blade in the commercially successful Blade trilogy. Snipes had also worked alongside Downey in films like One Night Stand and US Marshals. During their time together, Downey left a favorable impression on The Expendables 3 star.
“He’s an extremely multitalented actor that I respect. I enjoyed working with him,” Snipes once told The Telegraph about Downey.
Given their bond, Downey also went to Snipes for advice about joining the Marvel universe as a superhero.
“And I remember he actually called me, but I didn’t return the phone call at the time. Robert was concerned before Iron Man and was trying to find out what it’s like to play this comic book character, because I had already done Blade. Not to say that… OK, I’ll take all the credit for his success as Iron Man,” Snipes said.
How Robert Downey Jr. inspired Wesley Snipes
Similarly to Downey, Snipes found himself experiencing his own set of legal problems at one point. There was controversy with Snipes owing money to the IRS, for instance. This resulted in Snipes losing a couple of years in prison, effectively stalling his career for a period of time. But Downey’s career resurgence showed Snipes that there was always the possibility of a comeback after a few career setbacks.
“It’s an inspiration not just to me but to others, that you can go through hell and high water, and you can have ups and downs, but there’s always a brighter day. This too shall pass. And if you keep your skills together, you open and you create opportunities for yourself,” Snipes said.
