Robert Downey Jr.’s Surprising Decision: Why He Turned Down a Deadpool & Wolverine Cameo

Robert Downey Jr. shocked Ryan Reynolds and the screenwriters of Deadpool & Wolverine by declining a cameo as Iron Man, leaving everyone wondering why. The reason behind his decision became clear only recently, and it’s linked to his new role in the Marvelverse.

Initially, the screenwriters, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, had planned to open the film with a scene featuring Downey’s Iron Man/Tony Stark and Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan. However, Downey read the scenes and eventually turned down the offer, leaving the team puzzled.

Robert Downey Jr.’s decision to decline a cameo in Deadpool and Wolverine was a surprise to Ryan Reynolds and the movie’s screenwriters, until they discovered the reason behind the decision one day after the blockbuster opened in theaters on July 26

The mystery was solved when it was announced that Downey would star as Victor von Doom (also known as Doctor Doom) in two upcoming Avengers movies, Avengers: Doomsday, and Avengers: Secret Wars, at Comic-Con in San Diego on July 27.

Reese explained that they didn’t know about Downey’s Doctor Doom role behind the scenes, which made his cameo as Iron Man impossible. “We wrote scenes, and Downey read the scenes, but what we didn’t know behind the scenes was this Doctor Doom thing,” Wernick said.

Favreau ended up doing the scene with Reynolds’ Wade Wilson at the top of the film, which worked out great for the movie.

The actor will play the supervillain in the 5th and 6th Avengers films, titled Avengers: Doomsday, and Avengers: Secret Wars, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo.

The actor announced he would star as Victor von Doom in two upcoming Marvel movies; Avengers: Doomsday, and Avengers: Secret Wars, at Comic-Con in San Diego July 27

Reynolds expressed his gratitude to Favreau in a social media post, praising his generosity and incredible performance in the film.

As of August 8, Deadpool & Wolverine has earned over $440 million domestically and another $484 million internationally, for a global box office of nearly $1 billion.

If the current enthusiasm for the film continues, it could easily cross the billion-dollar mark by the end of the August 9-11 weekend.