Just in: ROBERT DOWNEY JR. CAST AS TONY STARK
And we’ve got a Tony Stark.
The news broke last night, and hit the trades this morning – Robert Downey Jr. will play Tony Stark/Iron Man in the upcoming film version of the Marvel comic series.
At his MySpace Iron Man Movie Group, director Jon Favreau wrote as the news was breaking:
“It is true. Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark. I am about as excited as I can be. I saw what he can do and he is extremely enthusiastic about playing Stark. I can say with absolute certainty that there is no better choice. The humor and emotional dimension he brings truly raises the bar on this project. Get ready.”
As reported previously, the film will be the first feature to be produced independently by Marvel Entertainment and distributed by Paramount. As The Hollywood Reporter describes the plot:
Downey will portray Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor who is kidnapped and forced to build a devastating weapon. Using his intelligence and ingenuity, Stark instead builds a high-tech suit of armor and escapes captivity. Upon his return to the U.S., he uncovers a plot with global implications and must don his armor and protect the world.
The screenplay is written by Art Marcum & Matt Holloway and Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby. Filming is slated to begin in February, and the movie is scheduled for a May 2, 2008 opening.
Marvel’s press release for the casting reads:
Academy Award(R) Nominee Robert Downey Jr. will take on the role of one of Marvel’s greatest Super Heroes, signing on as the title character for Marvel Studios’ highly-anticipated IRON MAN. This project, the first feature film to be produced independently by Marvel Entertainment, will launch into theaters May 2, 2008. The film is being directed by Jon Favreau and will be distributed by Paramount Pictures.
Downey is widely recognized as one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors. Nominated for an Oscar(R) for his extraordinary portrayal of Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin, Downey has been featured in more than 50 films. His upcoming credits include Fur (co-starring Nicole Kidman), A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, and the David Fincher film Zodiac. He has also recently been seen in such films as: A Scanner Darkly, The Shaggy Dog, Good Night, and Good Luck, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Gothika, The Singing Detective and Wonder Boys.
Based upon Marvel’s iconic Super Hero, IRON MAN tells the story of Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor who is kidnapped and forced to build a devastating weapon. Instead, using his intelligence and ingenuity, Tony builds a high-tech suit of armor and escapes captivity. Upon his return to America, Tony must come to terms with his past. When he uncovers a nefarious plot with global implications, he dons his powerful armor and vows to protect the world as Iron Man.
“Robert Downey Jr. is one of the most talented and acclaimed actors of this generation. His versatility sets him apart and makes him an ideal fit to play such a complex character as Iron Man. We could not think of another actor better suited to bring one of Marvel’s crown jewels to the big screen and be the centerpiece of our first independently produced feature,” said Kevin Feige, President of Production, Marvel Studios.
Marvel Studios is currently casting all supporting roles. Filming is slated to begin in Los Angeles in February 2007.
IRON MAN will be produced by Mr. Feige and Avi Arad. Executive Producers are Michael Helfant, Ari Arad, Mr. Favreau, Louis D’Esposito and Peter Billingsley. Mr. Downey is represented by CAA.
September 29th, 2006 at 7:08 pm
Perfect
September 29th, 2006 at 7:17 pm
I think one reason it will work is that it’s not as if Downey will have to appear inside a spandex costume. The one bad thing is they cast Downey without planning to make alcoholism a factor in the character of Tony Stark- WTF? Isn’t that the motive for the character? If I was asked to remember two things that make Iron Man interesting it would be 1-shrapnel in his heart, 2- alcoholic. Then again, from the included premise of the film they’re going far away from the original character. As always, if it works then I won’t complain- it’s not like I’m a fan boy- I just don’t understand why you take a great character with a very compelling story and then don’t use that and then you make $200 million flop and wonder what went wrong.
September 30th, 2006 at 12:18 am
That’s some funny shit! I wonder if real life experiences from Mr. Downey will help him play the role.
September 30th, 2006 at 10:58 pm
Iron Man being my favorite charcter in the ‘comic world’ since i started reading comics a few years back, I will be extremely dissapointed if this movie doesnt do Mr. Stark justice. I just pray they do it right, give the back story with his parents (i.e. Ultimate Iron Man, a must read), and show the fallacies within tony to create the character everyone wants to see
October 2nd, 2006 at 6:09 pm
I think that Ultimate Iron man by Orson Scott fellow was one of the worst stories i’ve read in the marvel universe. it was horribly uninteresting and just plain ridiculous.