Deadpool and Wolverine writers reveal details of Robert Downey Jr’s intended Iron Man cameo

Robert Downey Jr. was all geared up to cameo in Deadpool and Wolverine, but then he signed to be the MCU’s Doctor Doom behind the scenes…

In a new spoiler-heavy interview with Indiewire, Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, who wrote the Marvel movie with Zeb Wells, Ryan Reynolds, and director Shawn Levy, revealed that Wade Wilson was originally interviewed for a spot on the Avengers team by Happy Hogan and Tony Stark in the early Earth-616 scene. But when Downey couldn’t commit, Jon Favreau had to handle business himself.

“It was actually pretty close to the scene that you saw,” said Reese, noting that Stark would’ve just told Wade that he wasn’t a team player and openly questioned his ability to work with others. “It just had two guys instead of one. It worked out great. 

“I mean, look, we would’ve loved to have Downey. But, at the same time, I think Marvel had this ace in their hole, which is he’s about to come back in this different character. So, to have him be Tony Stark? Knowing that Doctor Doom was coming on the heels of that? It just didn’t make sense.”

“We haven’t told anybody this, but there was a version of that scene very, very early on that wasn’t written, but was conceived, that had all the Avengers in the room,” Wernick added. “And Wade was rejected and then he dressed all the Avengers down in a way only Deadpool could do.”

Downey’s Doom casting was announced by Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige and Avengers 5 directors Anthony and Joe Russo at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. “New mask, same task,” the former quipped on the Hall H stage. 

Deadpool and Wolverine is in cinemas now. For more, check out all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows on the way, as well as our guide to how to watch the Marvel movies in order.