Though Robert Downey Jr.'s version of Iron Man sacrificed himself to stop Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, the actor's 11-year portrayal of the Armored Avenger still resonates with fans. Now, anyone can watch Downey's audition tape for themselves to see how he landed the iconic role.Uploaded to Fandango's Twitter account, the video begins with Jon Favreau -- who directed the first two Iron Man films and plays Happy Hogan in the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- talking about how Downey was at a point in his career where he was ready to "break out and do something really big and exciting."Casting Director Sarah Halley Finn follows up by saying that Favreau was passionate about casting Downey as Iron Man, but she suggested they do screen tests as the actor wasn't, as she puts it, "a slam dunk approval," despite everyone feeling sure about casting him on a creative level.
The video then cuts to footage of Downey getting ready to do the audition, while voiceover from Finn talks about that fateful day. Fans then get to see Downey perfectly saying one of the lines from the film to another actor.
"I wouldn't call it an out of body experience," Downey states as he appears on camera, "but it was one of those rushes that I'm sure, like, somebody would feel if they were about to play a big sporting arena, playing for the ring or something like that. It was just like 'am I gonna pass out, or am I gonna nail this?'"
Marvel Studios Co-President Louis D'Esposito confirms it became clear Downey was the right choice to play Iron Man. Hally concludes the video by explaining the feeling she and everyone else got when they finally found their Iron Man.
Robert Downey Jr.'s final outing as Iron Man takes place in Avengers: Endgame. Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, the film also stars Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Don Cheadle as War Machine, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Danai Gurira as Okoye and Bradley Cooper as Rocket, with Gwyneth Paltrow Pepper Potts, Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan, Benedict Wong as Wong, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and Josh Brolin as Thanos. The film is set for release on digital HD on July 30 and Blu-ray and 4K UHD on Aug. 13.