LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Robert Downey Jr is all set to play Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer', which also stars Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh and Matt Damon. Downey's iconic portrayal of 'Iron Man' has been pivotal to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After more than a decade of portraying the character, he spoke out about his concerns that his work for Marvel may have diminished his talent.
Downey entered a term of semi-retirement after his final role in the 2019 movie 'Avengers: Endgame'. He then took a risk of starting a new venture with the film 'Dolittle'. The failure of the movie, however, further alienated Downey from the acting world. In a recent interview with the NY Times, he spoke about his considerable engagement in the MCU and candidly admitted that making those films made him worry about the possibility of losing his acting skills. "You start to wonder if a muscle you have hasn’t atrophied," he said.
Did Robert Downey Jr. diss 'Iron Man' role?
During the interview, he was directly questioned about whether his portrayal of Iron Man caused him to be concerned about his acting abilities. He said, "Yes. A hundred percent, and I knew there was a point where Chris 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 was specifically addressing his trademark "fast-talking" acting style, which he honed and perfected while playing Tony Stark.
Money takes a backseat in Robert Downey Jr's career decisions
The actor was also asked about the influence of the MCU on the film industry as a whole. He said, "If you’re talking about, adjusted for inflation, the biggest movies of all time, 'Gone With the Wind' and 'The Ten Commandments' are there. I’m sure that in the years those movies came out, there were probably films that you and I would agree were a better representation of what cinema can be." He acknowledged that when the MCU first began, he didn't have the luxury of contemplating such matters. He said that he was raised in a family that had a disdain for "summer blockbusters." He stated, "I’m happy that I regained my connection with a more purist approach to making movies."
Downey expressed that money no longer played a determining factor in his career decisions. He mentioned that the perception of "money-prestige illusion" quickly dissipated after the unexpected success of the first 'Iron Man' film, which defied expectations and became a blockbuster hit. Despite later becoming the highest-paid actor in the world during his time in the MCU, he emphasized on the fact that monetary considerations no longer guided his choices. Following 'Oppenheimer', he is slated to take on multiple roles in an HBO adaptation of 'The Sympathizer'.
