Director James Gunn backs up fans' criticism of The Sunday Times' claim that anyone could've played Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The filmmaker is currently busy promoting his Warner Bros. and DC Films project, The Suicide Squad, but before he joined the DCEU, he was already in the MCU as the primary creative force behind the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. With that comes access to Marvel Studios' internal library which he is now using to squash this ridiculous hot take that has sent people into a frenzy.

Kicking off the MCU was no easy feat. Marvel Studios had to put all their characters as collateral just to produce Iron Man. So, it was a massive shock when Kevin Feige and his team decided to risk it by tapping Jon Favreau, who was mostly known as an indie director at that time. The filmmaker upped the stakes when he pushed for Downey's casting. While the actor clearly has immense talent, he was still plagued with personal issues, particularly substance abuse that even landed him a stint in jail. But Favreau was so convinced that he will knock it out of the park, and he did, again and again, for more than 10 years, until he ended his arc in Avengers: Endgame.

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Amidst the slew of actors playing comic book heroes, Downey is part of the few who had become synonymous with his role. So, fans were obviously ticked when The Sunday Times recently claimed that "Iron Man could be played by almost anyone with wit" on social media. A lot of them pointed out that Downey's cinematic portrayal made the genius, billionaire Avenger a household name. Another one pointed out that even Stan Lee thought that the actor was born to play Tony Stark. Gunn also shared his two cents, writing that he has seen the screen tests and "this is b******t."

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A couple of Downey's screen tests for Iron Man have made it online over the years, but chances are that there are several more in Marvel Studios' vault. It's no secret that other actors were also considered for the part; Tom Cruise, Sam Rockwell, and Timothy Olyphant were in the running to play the MCU's inaugural hero at one point. Given this, it's curious if Gunn is referring solely to Downey's audition, or if he's also seen the rest. In any case, there wasn't much interest in pondering what the franchise would've been if those stars nabbed the part simply because Downey was too perfect for it. And it would be hard-pressed to find anyone who disagrees. So, it's mind-boggling why The Sunday Times would come out with this commentary — unless, its sole purpose is to cause controversy in order to gain traction.

Downey's work in the MCU speaks for itself. More than being the suited Iron Man, he shone the brightest when playing Tony Stark. The Sunday Times implies that wit was the most important trait for the hero, but it's worth remembering that the character isn't defined by his humor or sarcasm. He's cocky and yet, likable — exactly how Lee wanted him to be. Downey brought humanity and him, which is why so many were invested in his story and why people were significantly impacted by his death in Endgame. Aside from the tremendous work he did on the screen, Downey also functioned as the leader for his castmates. The actor was instrumental in convincing Chris Evans to finally agree to play Captain America and years later, he was the unofficial mentor of Tom Holland when he joined as the new Spider-Man.

More: How Ally McBeal Was Saved By Robert Downey Jr (& Then Killed Again)

Source: James Gunn