Elon Musk claims he inspired one of the most popular Marvel characters of all time in $2.4B franchise
No matter what your personal opinions on Elon Musk are, it's hard to disagree that the tech mogul has done far more than just watch the dollars roll in as the world's richest man. Turning his millions into billions, business ventures like Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI have seen Musk's empire boom, with some dubbing him a 'billionaire playboy'.
As 'billionaire playboy' is a moniker often given to Marvel Comics' Iron Man, it's no surprise that others have compared the two.
This isn't a comparison that's been missed by Elon Musk himself, and after sneaking himself into Iron Man 2 while also letting the 2010 movie film at SpaceX's California headquarters, he's doubling down on the idea that he inspired Robert Downey Jr.'s version of the comic book superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
As the Iron Man movies kick-started the MCU in 2008 and went on to gross $2.4 billion as a trilogy, the strongest of supporters might argue that the world of comic book movies wouldn't be where it is today without RDJ's take on Tony Stark.
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When Katie Miller asked Musk whether he'd rather be a Marvel superhero or a James Bond villain, he replied saying: "I think it would depend on which Marvel superhero or which Bond villain. I suppose I'd rather be a Marvel superhero. They did model Iron Man in the movies after me."
Musk isn't entirely wrong, as in 2022, Iron Man screenwriter Mark Fergus told New York magazine about his own influences when writing Tony Stark: "Steve Jobs was always serious and angry; he never quite had that gift of the bullsh*t, the working the crowd that Musk has a real natural talent for. Musk took the brilliance of Jobs with the showmanship of Trump."
He went on to tell Miller about Downey Jr. and director Jon Favreau touring the SpaceX facility ahead of filming Iron Man 2, adding: "Yeah, it was cool. We had Scarlett Johansson doing martial arts in the lobby, actually."
The idea that Musk 'inspired' the MCU's Iron Man is nothing new, although RDJ somewhat dodged the question in an earlier interview with the On with Kara Swisher podcast.
In October 2024, Downey Jr. said: "I've only met him a few times. As an almost 60-year-old recovering white American male, I just wish that he would control his behavior a little more, but that’s not on me.
"I know that this idea of ‘It’s all okay ’cause we’ve gotta get to Mars’ doesn’t really hold water with me. But again, you know, you have to look at all that he’s done that demonstrates why he’s valuable."
As for what others think about Musk inspiring a character that first appeared in the comics nine years before he was born and was said to have been originally modeled on Howard Hughes, this wasn't lost on many online.
Elsewhere, one critic chuckled: "I don't think being the mould for the douchebag billionaire that everyone loathes is the slam dunk he thinks it is."
Another added: "The first Iron Man movie where the arrogant, entitled Tony Stark spent the money from his company to indulge in toys that made him feel special? That guy? 🤡."
A third joked: "Elon telling that hot reporter he’s basically Iron Man...I think he’s looking to add to his stable of kids."