When Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. collaborated on the first Iron Man movie, both of them couldn’t have even dreamt of the effect it would create. Now hailed as the champions of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was their sincere efforts that helped establish the billion-dollar grossing franchise.

Oftentimes, Favreau and Marvel Studios are asked why they decided to work with Downey, a person infamous for his run-ins with the law and alcohol and drug abuse; but no one really asks why Downey decided to do a superhero film for a studio on the verge of destruction. In a recent interview, the actor cleared the air and revealed it was all because of Favreau’s one movie.

Robert Downey Jr. turned out to be Marvel’s lucky charm when the studio cast him as Iron Man/ Tony Stark. It was his charismatic portrayal that helped establish the billion-dollar-worth franchise and studio, and even Kevin Feige hails his casting as probably one of the greatest decisions in the history of Hollywood (via Marvel).

Not Vegeta, Another Dragon Ball Character’s Super Saiyan Form Can Even Surpass Goku

As for Downey, the actor decided to play a superhero all because of Jon Favreau‘s movie, Swingers. Talking at the Actors Roundtable organized by The Hollywood Reporter, the actor was asked if he ever paused before signing up for the superhero movie, and he stated,

“No, because anyone who knows [Iron Man director] Jon Favreau — I remember seeing Swingers, and that monologue he has, and I was like, ‘And he wrote this? Who is this guy?’ Also, he went to Bronx Science, and he was doing the Improv in Chicago, and we’re both from Queens? We were meant to do this thing.”

Downey’s revelation isn’t as surprising, for even countless fans would, without question, agree that it was fate that brought them together for the creation of something as grand as this.

Robert Downey Jr. has mentioned time and again that even the studio wasn’t sure that the first Iron Man would turn out to be as big and become a literal cultural phenomenon. Even the studio apparently left the cast and crew alone at some point, letting them do their thing, for they were sure it would turn out to be a box-office bomb (via Business Insider).

Downey, at the Actors Roundtable, made the same claims again, revealing how no one was sure that the film would go on to be as instrumental as laying the foundation of now one of the biggest cinematic franchises of all time.

“There was no real certainty that this was even going to take off. Iron Man was a second-tier hero. They [Marvel] let the lunatics run the asylum for a little while, so it was completely an indie approach to a genre movie to begin with.”

However, Downey is certainly glad that the studio did allow the lunatics to take over, for we all know what fruit (or rather a whole fruit orchard) it bore as a result.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe including Iron Man can be streamed on Disney+.