Marvel’s Iron Man 2 Built a Custom Toilet for Robert Downey Jr.

While Riva joked to NPR in 2009 about it being pretty funny telling his kids about the custom toilet, in reality, the piece of plumbing signified a much darker turn for Tony Stark. “Tropic Thunder” screenwriter Justin Theroux was brought in to write an adaptation of Marvel Comics’ “Demon in a Bottle” storyline, which depicts Tony struggling with his alcoholism and finally hitting rock bottom. It’s harrowing content that nevertheless gives the character more depth and pathos. However, in the end, it was deemed too intense for families and would have likely dampened box office returns. As Theroux once told UGO via MTV:

“It’s just a great, gritty storyline. It doesn’t transfer to film. We didn’t want to be the ‘Leaving Las Vegas’ version of ‘Iron Man 2.’ Even just a little bit of that can completely dominate the story.”

“Demon in a Bottle” portrays Tony eventually overcoming his alcoholism and getting clean, but Marvel Studios wasn’t ready to go down that path with “Iron Man 2” when the movie was already taking several risks. It’s entirely possible that driving the character-focused sequel into a darker direction could have alienated audiences and harmed the MCU right as it was gaining momentum, despite people’s love for their superheroes.

Source: NPR, UGO, MTV