Robert Downey Jr. has discussed starring in the first MCU movie, 2008’s Iron Man, saying he did not have any pause about taking on the role despite his belief that Iron-Man was a “second-tier” character. Downey Jr. wasn’t known for big blockbusters at that point, but he jumped at the chance to work with director Jon Favreau, he said in an appearance on The Hollywood Reporters’ Actors Roundtable.
“I remember seeing Swingers, and that monologue he has, and I was like, ‘And he wrote this? Who is this guy?’ Also, he went to Bronx Science, and he was doing the Improv in Chicago, and we’re both from Queens? We were meant to do this thing,” Downey Jr. said.
Marvel movies these days are popular, but that wasn’t always the case. Downey Jr. said there was “no certainty” that Iron Man would be a success in part because he believed Iron Man as a character was a “second-tier” hero.