Former Marvel Studio President Reveals Board of Directors Told Him Crazy for Casting “Addicted” Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man

The path of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been long and grueling, filled with ups and downs. It all started in 2008 with Iron Man – The Iron Man – 93%a film that featured the performance of Robert Downey Jr. in the starring role. Over the years, he not only became the most important figure in the Avengers, but also one of the most coveted and expensive stars in all of Hollywood, regaining his status as an industry icon and leaving an indelible mark on superhero cinema. However, at first not everyone agreed with the choice of him as Tony Stark, especially the board of directors of Marvel Studios itself.

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David Maisel was a vital part of Marvel Studios several years ago. In 2003, he had the idea of ​​a universe of interconnected movies featuring the same characters; he proposed the idea to Avi Arad and Ike Perlmutter, then CEO/Chairman of Marvel Studios and CEO, respectively. Both were very pleased with the initiative, and Perlmutter made the decision to hire Maisel as president of Marvel Studios. In his new position, David he got to work and devised a financial plan to make the MCU’s beginnings a reality with just $525 million. Maisel is a long way from Marvel today and for The New Yorker remember how things were:

Most people at this point think that Kevin started the study. They don’t know me at all. (…) I thought: ‘Hey, if I can get a movie I can believe in, and every movie after that is a sequel or a quasi-sequel, the same characters appear, then it can go on forever.’ Because it’s not 30 new movies. It’s one movie and 29 sequels. What we call a universe.

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A market study was carried out, discovering that Iron Man was the favorite toy of children. Marvel Studios began with the development of the Iron Man movie, however, one of the big questions was the choice of the actor. David Maisel recounts how well he took advantage of Marvel’s goodwill with the investment, but was harshly criticized for proposing to Robert Downey Jr. as star of the movie:

Everything was like a free loan. You go to a casino and you keep the winnings. You don’t have to worry if you lose. The board really had no choice but to approve me to do the new Marvel Studios. (…) The board of directors thought he was crazy for putting the future of the company in the hands of an addict. I helped them understand how good he was for the part. We all trusted that he was clean and would stay clean.

It is popular knowledge that Robert Downey Jr. has struggled with addiction problems in the past. For several years, she dealt with excessive drug use and had issues related to his substance abuse. This led to several arrests and legal problems, as well as difficulties in his personal and professional life. However, in recent years, he has managed to overcome his addiction and maintain his sobriety, becoming an example of recovery and an inspiration to others who also struggle with addiction. His time at Marvel Studios was a complete renewal of his career.

Iron Man presents the exciting story of Tony Stark, an arms magnate and genius inventor. After being captured by a group of terrorists, Stark is forced to build powerful armor for his own survival. However, after escaping from him, he realizes the damage his weapons have done to the world and decides to use his technology to become humanity’s protector. As he battles evil and confronts his own inner demons, Stark becomes the hero known as Iron Man, upholding peace and justice while facing a growing threat that could endanger all of humanity. .

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