As part of a series of 90s Avengers fan art, Tom Cruise gets imagined as the perfect Iron Man replacement for Robert Downey Jr. There was a major rumor that Cruise was going to show up as the Superior Iron Man version of the character from the comics in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness — which did not happen. Despite RDJ having been the best possible casting for the character, delivering excellent performances in three Iron Man movies and more Marvel Cinematic Universe films, fans were keen to see what Cruise could do with the role.

On Instagram, @houseofmat shared what Cruise could have looked like as Iron Man if the Avengers had assembled in the 90s.

As the lead of the Mission Impossible franchise, Cruise would have been a great pick to have led the MCU’s Avengers movies as Iron Man. In fact, Cruise was once close to playing the character before Downey Jr. was ultimately cast as Iron Man. While RDJ ended up becoming Marvel’s Tony Stark, the future could give Cruise another chance to play the popular hero.

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Could Tom Cruise’s Iron Man Ever Appear In The MCU?

The Multiverse Saga Could Make It Happen

While Cruise did not end up leading 2008’s Iron Man nor appearing in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, there is still time for the actor to play Tony Stark in the MCU. Despite some behind-the-scenes issues, Marvel continues to soldier on with its Multiverse Saga, and it offers the perfect scenario for Cruise to make an appearance as Iron Man. As he cannot play the main MCU version of the hero, Cruise could appear in one of multiple possible movies as a different Iron Man from the multiverse.

One of those films that could include the actor as Stark is the announced Armor Wars. The movie will deal with what happens when Stark tech falls into the wrong hands. Initially pitched as a Disney+ series, Armor Wars becoming a movie is indicative that Marvel has big things planned for the project. Given how Tony Stark’s legacy will be all over the movie, having Iron Man actually play a role in the film through Cruise appearing as a multiverse version of the hero would elevate the project to new heights.

While an appearance in Armor Wars would be somewhat understandable, Cruise’s best possible chance at playing Stark rests in the final Avengers movie of the Multiverse Saga. 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars should match or surpass the number of heroes that were present in Avengers: Endgame, with rumors claiming the movie will draw from Marvel’s entire live-action history for the film. The MCU has recently featured John Krasinski as Reed Richards for a cameo due to the fan desire to have him play the hero, and given how much interest rests on Cruise playing a variant of Iron Man, Marvel could repeat that dose for the anticipated Avengers movie.