Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man Almost Wasn't in Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: Civil War adapted one of Marvel's most famous crossovers. The film pitted Steve Rogers against his friend as Tony Stark found himself disagreeing the the first Avenger. For many fans, the film's best pieces came from the feud, but it turns out the friends nearly missed out on the big-screen reunion.

Recently, the boss of Marvel Studios made an appearance before fans and students in New York. The producer did a Q&A with the New York Film Academy as a guest speaker, and it was there Feige said Captain America: Civil War went through some growing pains.

"We didn't have a deal with Downey. So it's like, 'Looking good with Downey! It's Cap versus Iron Man,'" Feige told the audience.

"[It became] 'I don't know, it might not be Downey.' Alright, it's gonna be Cap versus who?"

Of course, fans of the Civil War comics will know how important Iron Man is to the story overall. When Captain America opposes a law requiring anyone with superpowers to register with the government, he and Iron Man are at odds. It culminates with Iron Man going after Captain America and his team, and Steve chooses to surrender when the cost of war grows too great.

You can see why Downey Jr. would be a make-or-break part of Feige's film plans. If he did not bring Iron Man to set, Captain America would need another challenger, but none were as well suited as Iron Man. Thankfully, Marvel Studios sorted out a deal with Downey Jr. that brought him into the fold, but fans can make their own guesses as to who Steve would've fought if a plan had not been negotiated.

Are you glad Iron Man was able to join in on the action...? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

Other upcoming Marvel Studios projects include Black Widow on May 1, 2020, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in Fall 2020, The Eternals on November 6, 2020, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on February 12, 2021, WandaVision in Spring 2021, Loki in Spring 2021, Spider-Man 3 on July 16, 2021, What If…? in Summer 2021, Hawkeye in Fall 2021, and Thor: Love and Thunder on November 5, 2021, and Black Panther 2 on May 6, 2022.