For years, fans have speculated that Tom Cruise might portray Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and now the actor's motive for declining the role has been revealed.
Since the premiere of Iron Man in 2008, rumors about Tom Cruise assuming the eponymous position have circulated, with the reason for Robert Downey Jr. getting the job instead being revealed 15 years later
On the original notion of Iron Man's MCU timeline, Cruise was considered for the role of Tony Stark. Many speculated that Cruise might appear as an Iron Man version in 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
However, there is a genuine reason why Tom Cruise's MCU Iron Man.. However, MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, a book written by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards,
has finally explained why Cruise isn't a part of the franchise. The book dives deeply into the inner workings of the Marvel Cinematic Universe during the previous two decades or so,
including why Robert Downey Jr. was chosen as Iron Man over Tom Cruise: "Ten years ago, when the Iron Man rights were at 20th Century Fox,
Tom Cruise, then 34, toyed with the idea of playing Stark... According to Feige, Cruise's asking price was "more
than even a profitable studio like Fox was willing to risk on an untested superhero property at the time."