Iron Man associate producer Jeremy Latcham has revealed some of the wilder details from Robert Downey Jr.'s screen test to play Tony Stark in the Marvel Studios film.
Latcham recounted the event for Abrams Books' The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recalling, "A Mercedes comes pulling up at nine hundred miles an hour. It had a dancing hula-hoop girl on the dashboard. This huge dude covered in tattoos with a long beard, crazy glasses, and a hat -- who is Robert Downey Jr.'s right-hand man, Jimmy Rich -- gets out, walks around, and opens up the door." Out came Downey in what Latcham described as a purple three-piece suit with a giant scarf. "He swings the scarf over his shoulder and goes, 'Young man, which way to hair and makeup?' I was like, 'Holy sh--. What just happened?'"
After getting his hair and makeup done, Downey made his way to the Iron Man set. "He does one take and the entire crew bursts into applause. Boom! Tony Stark's here!" said Latcham. As Rich explained, Downey hadn't screen-tested for a role since he played legendary filmmaker and comedian Charlie Chaplin in director Richard Attenborough's 1992 biopic Chaplin, which is why he took the process seriously and went all-in for his Iron Man audition. "But Robert's got a work ethic that's beyond anybody else that I've ever worked with," Rich added. "It's inspiring. I've seen him bear down, but not like he did for this."
"I saw it recently and, you know, it's good," said Downey, with regard to his Iron Man screen test. "But there was a lot more going on, I think, than just the fact that one day went well. [Iron Man director] Jon [Favreau] was really looking for a partner, and [Marvel Studios President] Kevin [Feige] was wrestling with the idea of 'Do you cast against type? Do you make interesting, head-scratching, maybe-they're-on-to-something casting decisions?'"
Downey would go on to earn much in the way of critical acclaim for his performance as the billionaire weapons manufacturer-turned superhero Tony Stark in Iron Man, which itself launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe upon its release in 2008. After reprising the role in multiple sequels, Avengers movies, post-credit scenes, and more, Downey closed out his run as the character with Tony's selfless sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame, completing his decade-plus MCU journey.
Source: The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe