“Deadpool & Wolverine” has been Marvel’s lifeline, achieving great box office success and receiving good reviews from specialized press.
The film, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, was characterized by the cameo of several memorable characters from the superhero universe such as Blade, Elektra, Gambit, and the Human Torch.
That's why it has now been revealed that the writers' idea was to bring back Robert Downey Jr. with his memorable Iron Man, a key figure in the Marvel cinematic universe, but the actor rejected the proposal.
Reasons for Downey Jr.'s rejection.
In a recent interview with IndieWire, the co-writers of "Deadpool and Wolverine," Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, revealed that Robert Downey Jr. was contacted to reprise his role as Tony Stark/Iron Man for a cameo in their latest Marvel box office hit.
Reese and Wernick had imagined a scene in which Tony Stark, played by Downey, would have appeared alongside Happy Hogan, played by Jon Favreau. According to Wernick, the original concept involved Ryan Reynolds' character, Deadpool, meeting with Happy Hogan at the beginning of the movie, and Stark was meant to be present in the room. "We wanted him to make a cameo. We had written that scene [to start] with Happy and Downey," Wernick explained.
Reese elaborated on the collaborative efforts behind the scenes: "Ryan Reynolds wrote the scene for both of them, hoping we could get Downey. But I also wanted Favreau, because they make a great combo, and they were all together in the scene." Despite their hopes, Downey's involvement never materialized. The writers speculated that Downey's reason for turning it down was due to his upcoming role as Doctor Doom, a major villain role debuting in "Avengers: Doomsday" in 2026 and "Avengers: Secret Wars" in 2027, both directed by the Russo brothers.
Wernick added, "Behind the scenes, we didn't know about Doctor Doom. And there was no way he could do both things." He noted his initial surprise at Downey's decision, saying, "Oh, Downey doesn't say 'no' to Ryan Reynolds, right? No one says no to Ryan Reynolds." Despite the setback, the team managed to keep Favreau's Happy Hogan in the scene, allowing the movie to continue without major alterations.