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When Robert Downey Jr. made his debut inIron Man,he was struggling not only to secure the role but also to negotiate a fair salary. However, when Marvel Studios brought together the superheroes for their first ensemble film,The Avengers, Downey Jr. emerged as the highest-paid actor among the group. Interestingly,The Judgeactor also wanted Iron Man to be the central character in the film.
However, the director of the film, Joss Whedon, was able to convince theOppenheimeractor that an ensemble approach would be more effective. Whedon had long discussions with theSherlock Holmesactor about how to film his scenes in a way that would avoid any resentment.
Also Read:“Every A-list actor wanted a role”: Robert Downey Jr. Did the Unthinkable for Marvel That Would’ve Become Quentin Tarantino’s Worst Nightmare Before it Went Horribly Wrong
Robert Downey Jr. WantedThe AvengersMovie Centered Around Iron Man
With the success of twoIron Manmovies under his belt,Robert Downey Jr.was undoubtedly the most popular star in the lineup. He was initially not ready to share the spotlight in one of the first live-action ensemble superhero movies. However, directorJoss Whedonrecognized that the success ofThe Avengershinged on each character’s contribution, rather than relying solely on Iron Man.
Whedon actively sought input from each actor about what they felt comfortable doing in their respective roles.Chris Evans, for one, revealed that he completely trusted the director, andScarlett Johanssonrecalled seeing the director teary-eyed over Black Widow’s backstory. Although Whedon would later face accusations of being a toxic director, at the time he was not willing to let Downey Jr. dominate the ensemble cast.
The recently released book,MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, included Whedon’s humorous remark on theKiss Kiss Bang Bangactor’s insistence, as he stated,“I’m used to having people do everything I say, and so is he.”TheSerenitydirector brilliantly came up with a plan to make things smoother for both him and Downey Jr. Whenever theZodiacactor had issues with particular lines in the script, the director would provide him with three pages of alternate lines to pick from.
Downey Jr. was happy that he had his work cut down to merely select lines from a menu. Meanwhile, Whedon was happy that the actor was still delivering lines that he had created.
Also Read:“A director that doesn’t have any balls”: Mickey Rourke Went to Russian Prisons for Iron Man 2, Robert Downey Jr. Was Asked to Stay Out of His Way
Joss Whedon Was Instrumental In MakingThe AvengersA $1.5B Success
Apart from handling the situations with the actors, Whedon took it upon himself to rework the script initially written by Zak Penn. Whedon also managed to overcomeIke Perlmutter‘s objections to including female characters. TheToy Storywriter included not one, but two important female characters inThe Avengers, Black Widow and Maria Hill.
It was also Whedon’s idea to include Chitauri as the alien race who attacked New York. TheAvengers: Age of Ultrondirector’s biggest contribution to the film was the idea to kill off fan-favorite character Agent Coulson, a move that rallied the Avengers unitedly against the Chitauri. The murder of Coulson also made fans emotionally invested in the film, making the climactic battle more epic.
Despite initial issues, Robert Downey Jr. went on to become best friends with his co-stars. He even fought for their salary raise and threatened not to return forAvengers: Age of Ultronunless his co-stars were offered higher pay. Marvel let go of Joss Whedon afterAge of Ultron, which performed weaker than the first film.
Also Read:One Iron Man Villain Actor Robert Downey Jr. Convinced to Join MCU Nearly Left Marvel Due to Humiliantly Low Salary
The Avengersand other MCU films are now available for streaming on Disney+.MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studioscan be purchased on Amazon.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
