Robert Downey Jr. Passed on Returning For ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ But His Reason Makes Perfect Sense
While Marvel fans were understandably thrilled to see Chris Evans return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for Deadpool & Wolverine, it turns out that Ryan Reynolds and his team initially had a bigger surprise in store.
In a recent interview with IndieWire, screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick revealed that Robert Downey Jr. was once set to reprise his role as Tony Stark in the third Deadpool film.
According to the duo, Stark would have appeared when Deadpool traveled to the Sacred Timeline and attempted to join the Avengers.
Photo: Marvel
“We had wanted him to do a cameo. We had written that scene [to start] with Happy and Downey,” Wernick said.
Reynolds Came Up With the Idea
As it turns out, Ryan Reynolds himself came up with the idea, and Downey even read the scenes.
Source: Variety
“Ryan Reynolds wrote the scene with both of them, so in the hopes we could get Downey,” Reese said. “But he also wanted Favreau because they’re a great combo, and they were all in the scene together.”
Eventually, however, Downey passed on the cameo. While the duo were at first shocked, everything made sense when Marvel announced that the actor was returning to the MCU to portray Doctor Doom.
Photo: Marvel
“Behind the scenes, we didn’t know about the Doctor Doom,” Wernick added. “And there’s no way he was going to do both. And then we said, ‘Oh, Downey doesn’t say “no” to Ryan Reynolds, does he? No one says no to Ryan Reynolds.’ And Ryan gave him the hard press. We wrote scenes, and Downey read the scenes, but what we didn’t know behind the scenes was this Doctor Doom thing.”
Downey Couldn’t Do Both
While Reese and Wernick were disappointed that Downey chose not to appear in Deadpool & Wolverine (the screenwriters say Downey was the only “no” they got), they now understand.
“I mean, look, we would’ve loved to have Downey,” Reese said. “But, at the same time, I think Marvel had this ace in their hole, which is he’s about to come back in this different character. So, to have him be Tony Stark? Knowing that Doctor Doom was coming on the heels of that? It just didn’t make sense.”
Photo: Marvel
Deadpool & Wolverine is in theaters now.
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