Robert Downey Jr. almost led Gravity—here’s why it didn’t happen

If you thought Robert Downey Jr. was done donning the suit after 'Endgame', think again. Months out from 'Avengers: Doomsday', and the big story isn’t just about his second coming as Iron Man – it’s that his first Marvel swan song nearly happened much earlier. Plus, in a twist of blockbuster what-if, it turns out he was once meant to drift around in space in 'Gravity' before George Clooney nabbed the gig. Not sure which is wilder, honestly.

The (Almost) Early Exit of Tony Stark

Shuffling release dates and killing characters left and right are par for the course in Marvel-land, but this one’s a bit inside. Speaking with CBR, Joe Russo – one half of the Russo brothers, those de facto Marvel maestros – let slip that Stark’s death was on the table before 'Endgame'. They genuinely considered it. Russo put it like this:

'We try to investigate all angles, right? Everything’s up for grabs. We always say, "Best idea wins." And a lot of the times you gotta stretch…'

Downey Jr., ever the joker, jumped in with: 'Mine is just, "Don’t kill me."' (Hard to argue with that life goal.)

Russo went on to explain they toyed with offing Tony early, catching everyone off guard. But then the conundrum: how do you bring the character back for the rest of the franchise? In typically blunt Marvel fashion, Russo summed up the decision by saying: 'F*** it, let’s just do it in the next movie.' And the rest, as they say, involved a glowing gauntlet and more tears in cinemas than at a rainy British wedding.

Downey Jr. vs Outer Space (Spoiler: He Lost)

Before Iron Man ever snapped his fingers, there was a multiverse somewhere in which Robert Downey Jr. was floating around as the lead in Alfonso Cuarón’s 'Gravity'.

That bit of trivia came roaring back thanks to a resurfaced clip from Downey’s chat with Howard Stern. Apparently, Downey was on board for the film ages before any firm casting. He said:

'Everybody winds up doing what they’re supposed to do. I came on early in the development process. I don’t think Angelina Jolie was even attached at that point. Alfonso Cuarón and I really hit it off.'

The issue? All those nifty new camera rigs were a bit much for RDJ. The director had some high-concept, multi-spherical contraption running the show, which didn’t exactly do wonders for Downey’s nerves. As he put it:

'I went to test the new multi-spherical camera system they were using for all the CGI. We’d been at it for about 20 minutes when I asked, "How much longer?" They said, "Another two to four hours." I said, "No, it isn’t."'

Stern, not one to let it go, asked him straight: did you just walk out? Downey’s answer was pure showbiz self-preservation: 'You’ve got to have boundaries. You’ve got to leave before you flip out.'

Who Actually Got the 'Gravity' Payday?

So Clooney swooped in, Sandra Bullock stuck around, and the film turned out to be a bit of a juggernaut. When Stern pointed out that Clooney and Bullock pocketed something like $70 million from 'Gravity', Downey kept it philosophical:

'At the time, nobody knew it was going to be that big. Any of us can have anything, but we can’t have everything.'

• Robert Downey Jr. was cast in 'Gravity' early on, when it was being developed.
• He struggled with Cuarón’s specialized camera rigs, quitting after just 20 minutes of testing.
• George Clooney ended up taking the role, with Sandra Bullock as the lead.
• Both stars reportedly earned upwards of $70 million from the film once it became a smash hit.
• Downey is back as Iron Man for at least one more Marvel curtain call in 'Avengers: Doomsday'.