Iron Man (2008) was the turning point for Marvel Studios, Directed by Jon Favreau, the movie kicked off the Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and began Robert Downey Jr’s journey of Tony/Stark Iron Man. The movie was praised for its visuals and action-packed sequences, however, filming those scenes was not easy.
The use of CGI has been quite vast in the MCU and on multiple occasions, Downey Jr has expressed his hate towards the costume as it restricted his movement. As the MCU progressed, the Iron Man suit was made using the latest available technology, however, Iron Man (2008) felt authentic as Downey Jr wore the entire suit while filming.
Robert Downey Jr talked about the use of CGI in the MCU
In 2020, actor Robert Downey Jr appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Joe Rogan Experience, and talked about the use of CGI in the Marvel movies. The actor said,
“I’m supposed to come in and like, you know, throw something in and it was off camera but everything else was great, ‘Oh we’ll just move your arm later’ and you go ‘Wow.’ So you never want to rest on your laurels but after a certain while, I was like, ‘Why am I wearing this football suit? Just put some dots on my shoulders so I can move more freely.”
Using CGI for Iron Man’s suit certainly made sense as it was next to impossible to film all the action scenes in a heavy costume.
Robert Downey Jr hated the Iron Man suit
In an episode from Netflix’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman, Robert Downey Jr explained that he couldn’t see when he wore the Iron Man suit for the first time,
“Initially, everything was really there. They wanted to spend as little as they could on CG replacement, so I remember this helmet went on, and there’d be a shot, and I’d be in this whole suit, and they’d say: ‘All right, Robert, it’s like you landed on the roof, so when we say action, just go like that, like you just landed, and then start moving forward.’ So I put this helmet on, and it slammed closed, and I couldn’t see anything, and then these LED lights went on and it was like The Manchurian Candidate… I was absolutely blinded.”
In the end, the hard work paid off as Iron Man became a blockbuster hit and laid down the foundation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The studios were against the casting of Robert Downey Jr
Back in the 2000s, Downey Jr was quite famous but his reputation took a hit because of his controversies. Marvel was completely against the idea but the director of the movie, Jon Favreau, said,
“The best and worst moments of Robert’s life have been in the public eye. He had to find an inner balance to overcome obstacles that went far beyond his career. That’s Tony Stark.”
After a long battle, Marvel finally agreed and Downey Jr was paid $500,000 for his role in the movie. The character instantly became a fan-favorite and it began Robert Downey Jr’s decade-long journey as Iron Man.
Source: Joe Rogan Experience
