Clark Gregg, who played Phil Coulson in the MCU, knew that Iron Man would be a hit if Robert Downey Jr. took his job seriously. It's been 13 years since the Jon Favreau-directed blockbuster birthed Marvel Studios' franchise. Iron Man was a massive risk for Kevin Feige and his team, and it didn't help that they chose Downey, who was recovering from substance abuse, to spearhead the project.
Favreau was convinced the actor was right for the part. So he pushed for it, and ultimately, he got what he wanted; Downey was Tony Stark. Joining the actor was a strong ensemble cast that included Jeff Bridges as the main villain, Obadiah Stane, Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Shaun Toub as Ho Yinsen, and Gregg as the fan-favorite Coulson. Despite the skepticism on Marvel Studios' decision to cast Downey, not to mention the bare-bones script, the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. actor was also convinced that Iron Man would be a success, but only if its lead star showed up.
Looking back at his involvement in Iron Man, Gregg recalled his time working on Iron Man during his recent appearance at the At Home With Creative Coalition podcast. He revealed that he was immediately sold on the idea of the film, even if many were dubious that it would work. But under the condition that Downey straightened himself and not relapse into his old ways. In the end, the movie's lead star came through, and the rest is history.
“From the minute I saw that Jon Favreau was directing this movie of Iron Man with Robert Downey as that character with Gwenyth [Paltrow] and Jeff Bridges, I knew that if Robert was able to show up and, you know, become the talent that we’ve all hoped he would be able to be -- you know, with the addiction issues -- that it would be one of the greatest versions, the best possible version that could have ever been. And he really, really nailed it."
It's easy to forget Gregg was part of the MCU proper, and he had been there in its early years. After appearing in Iron Man, Coulson was essentially the thread that tied almost all Phase 1 movies together, leading to the heroes' assembly in The Avengers. Following his fake death just before the Battle of New York began, he continued his adventures on the small screen through Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Since then, he's barely factored into the movies aside from his appearance in Captain Marvel.
Once Downey proved himself to be dependable in Iron Man, the actor continued to be committed to the MCU until he wrapped up Tony's arc in Avengers: Endgame. Overall, the actor played the role 11 times, including his cameo in The Incredible Hulk. While the Iron Man trilogy ended back in Phase 2, Downey remained all-in every single time he played his career-defining role — even in films where he's deemed a supporting character like Captain America: Civil War. The franchise will surely miss Downey, who became synonymous with Iron Man thanks to his brilliant performance as the Marvel hero.
Source: At Home With Creative Coalition
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