He Declined One Of The Most Famous Super Hero Roles

It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, but Tom was actually in the running for the role before anyone else. Before the release of the 2008 film “Iron Man,” Tom had the opportunity to play the iconic character, but he declined.

Tom didn’t become Iron Man because he wanted more creative control over the project, which he felt Marvel Studios was not very eager to grant. This decision ultimately led to Robert taking on the iconic role and kickstarting the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has since become one of the most successful franchises in cinematic history.