Similarities between Tony Stark and Robert Downey Jr.

In cinema, casting the right person can ultimately lead to the success of an entire franchise. Take, for example, Iron Man, who was played by Robert Downey Jr. The success of Iron Man in 2008 could be traced back to Downey's stellar performance. And while one could say that the Marvel Cinematic Universe began with "The Incredible Hulk" the same year, it was "Iron Man" that propelled the MCU, giving it enough momentum which led to "Captain America: The First Avenger," "Thor," and eventually the first Avengers movie. Here are some of the similarities between Tony Stark and Robert Downey Jr. that made the casting such a smart move. Joe Cianciotto. The lavish lifestyle: While Downey may not have the same size bank account as Stark, he, too, shares living a lavish Hollywood lifestyle. Large homes, fancy cars, stunning suits, pretty women, these were aplenty during RDJ's early success in Hollywood. He may not have a private jet to himself; RDJ did eventually earn so much that he could afford one. Joe Cianciotto

Charisma: What separates other billionaires like Bill Gates and fictional billionaire Tony Stark was charisma. In the comic books, Stark had so much charisma and presence that the comic book universe started to gravitate toward him as a major character. This then led to several series such as the Civil War and other plotlines. RDJ shares the same charisma as Tony Stark. While playing Stark in the silver screen, Downey would exude the same bravado and confidence one would expect from the superhero. Joe CianciottoWit: Humor had always been part of the MCU's equation when making solid movies. Thankfully, RDJ's portrayal of Tony Stark showed just how talented he was when delivering these quips. It takes a special kind of man to call an alien Squidward and get a laugh from the audience. RDJ's delivers his witty lines so seamlessly, it's hard to tell where RDJ ends, and Tony Stark begins. Joe Cianciotto