Tony Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe) the connectogram, a circular graph that maps all of the white-matter connections of the human brain. The first MCU "Iron Man" film was released in 2008, starring Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, with Favreau directing. "Iron Man" received very positive reviews from film critics, grossing $318 million domestically and $585 million worldwide. The character of Tony Stark, again played by Robert Downey Jr., appeared at the end of the 2008 film "The Incredible Hulk". Downey reprised his role in "Iron Man 2" (2010), "Marvel's The Avengers" (2012), "Iron Man 3" (2013), "" (2015), "" (2016), "" (2017), and ""
Iron Man (2008 film) the star, the superhero is the star. The success of "X-Men" and "Spider-Man" without being star-driven pieces reassures [executives] that the film does have an upside commercially." However, in September 2006, Robert Downey, Jr. was cast in the role. Favreau chose Downey, a fan of the comic, because he felt the actor's past made him an appropriate choice for the part, explaining "The best and worst moments of Robert's life have been in the public eye. He had to find an inner balance to overcome obstacles that went far beyond his career. That's Tony Stark." Favreau faced opposition from Marvel