There’s no question — without Iron Man, there would be no Marvel Cinematic Universe. Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Tony Stark changed superhero movies forever. But what many fans don’t know is that Iron Man almost didn’t happen at all. Before the 2008 blockbuster, Hollywood spent nearly a decade trying — and failing — to bring Tony Stark to the big screen. With multiple studios, directors, and rewrites, the project stalled again and again. So what was holding Iron Man back? And how did Marvel finally pull it off?