Robert Downey Jr. was concerned that playing Iron Man in the MCU for a decade would affect his acting abilities.
In 2008, Downey Jr. began the role of a lifetime in his career comeback when he starred as Tony Stark in the 2008 movie Iron Man. This film launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has gone on to become the most commercially successful film franchise of all time. He played the role in nine movies before his swan song in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.
“You start to wonder if a muscle you have hasn’t atrophied,” Downey Jr. told The New York Times about the risks of playing the same character for over a decade. When asked if he had any concerns that playing Iron Man for 12 years might have on his acting, Downey Jr. replied: “Yes. 100%, and I knew there was a point where Christopher Nolan was endorsing, let’s work those other muscles, but let’s do it while rendering you devoid of your usual go-to things.”
Downey Jr. described his “go-to things” in particular as “fast-talking, charming, unpredictable, blah, blah, blah.” From the sound of it, audiences won’t be getting his typical Tony Stark persona in Nolan’s upcoming historical thriller, Oppenheimer. Downey Jr. will portray Lewis Strauss, a major figure in the development of nuclear weapons.
Will Robert Downey Jr. return as Iron Man?
There are currently no reports that indicate Downey Jr. will reprise his role as Tony Stark/Iron Man.
