Tom Cruise Almost Played Iron Man Confirm ‘Smallville’ Creators

by

The creators behind Smallville, Al Gough and Miles Millar, disclosed that they had drafted a screenplay for Iron Man years prior to Robert Downey Jr.’s iconic portrayal of the character.

During a conversation with Josh Horowitz, Gough shared that following the scriptwriting for Spider-Man 2, Marvel Studios founder Avi Arad presented them with an important new venture – the development of Iron Man.

What are the Tom Cruise Iron Man details?

According to Millar, following Spider-Man 2, there was a collective excitement within Marvel Studios about another great addition – Iron Man. This was when they were still working out of Toy Biz offices led by Arad. Gough confessed he wasn’t familiar with the character before Arad presented him as “a wealthy arms dealer with an alcohol issue, who after an accident, is now striving to turn things around.

Over the span of a year, the pair diligently worked on several revisions, frequently collaborating with Arad and Kevin Feige. Yet, in that period, New Line Cinema owned the movie rights, and its founder, Robert Shaye, is said to have found it challenging to grasp the idea of Iron Man flying, as Superman already had this ability.

After the meeting, it seemed as if everyone had a shared sentiment along the lines of, ‘It appears unlikely that this will take place here,'” Gough expressed.

Tom Cruise Was the Top Choice for Tony Stark

Millar explicitly stated that Tom Cruise was Marvel’s top pick for the character Tony Stark, and that Cruise had given serious thought to accepting this role – a significant departure for him, marking his debut in the world of superhero films.

“They wanted Tom Cruise, and I think Cruise was interested,” said Millar.

As a movie enthusiast, I remember the moment when the Iron Man project seemed to hit a dead end and Marvel regained the rights. Little did I know that this turn of events would pave the way for Jon Favreau’s brilliant decision to cast Robert Downey Jr. in the 2008 film, Iron Man. This choice marked the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that we’ve come to love and admire.

Cruise’s Possible Marvel Comeback in Secret Wars?

Speculation has been around for quite some time that Kevin Feige might incorporate Tom Cruise into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a different version of Iron Man. These rumors hint at potential appearances in films such as Doctor Strange 2 and possibly even Avengers: Secret Wars now.

As a dedicated movie enthusiast, I can’t help but feel a flutter of excitement when I think about the potential for the multiverse storyline in upcoming Marvel movies. Although no official confirmation has been made yet, rumors are swirling that this could mean Tom Cruise might slip into the Iron Man suit after all – perhaps just for a brief appearance. Fingers crossed!

Endgame, but he’ll be back as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. It has been announced that there might be a Marvel Cinematic Universe reboot, which could lead to a new actor taking over the role of Tony Stark in future productions.

Read More

2025-08-13 18:14