The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a behemoth force in the entertainment industry, and is showing no signs of slowing. But those of us who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order know it all started with Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man. Tony Stark ultimately died in Avengers: Endgame, leaving a gaping hole in the shared universe as a whole. Iron Man icon Robert Downey Jr. dropped honest thoughts about being compared to Tony, even being quoted saying “I ain’t him.” Let’s break it all down.
RDJ’s career was revived thanks to playing Iron Man, with the studio originally pushing back on Downey’s casting. Despite his character’s death, he’s so popular fans are hoping to see Tony return in an upcoming Marvel movie. Robert Downey Jr. spoke about comparisons to his signature Avenger (via Vanity Fair), sharing:
I ain’t him, I’ll tell you that flat out. There’s always a bit of a burn-off period when they run out of call sheets for me in any of these movies, and I go back to being a little bit more of just…I’m just a fucking actor. I’m just a guy—who does have a very interesting past, who does not regret it, who wished to shut the door on it. I think that that translates.
There you have it. While Robert Downey Jr. definitely shared the natural charisma seen on the big screen as Tony Stark, he doesn’t actually think he has all that in common with the Marvel superhero. He’s just an actor who got to play a dream role over the course of a decade.
RDJ’s comments help to peel back the curtain on what it’s actually like working within a major blockbuster like the MCU. He starred in a whopping nine Marvel movies during his tenure as Iron Man, as well as a number of cameos. And it sounds like he’s been hearing a lot of comparisons between him and Tony Stark during that time.
Since Avengers: Endgame was released, RDJ has gotten some much-needed time away from the Marvel Cinematic Universe– and those Tony Stark comparisons. And while he’s gotten involved in other projects since then, there are still plenty of fans who want to see him return to the MCU. What’s more, there were rumors that the OG Avengers would be brought back for another movie— even the ones who are dead.
Still, Robert Downey Jr. has given no indication that he’s trying to return to the MCU anytime soon. After all, his character was given an epic ending and RDJ made a killing thanks to the box office of Avengers: Endgame.
The next Marvel movie hitting theaters will be Shawn Levy‘s Deadpool 3 on July 26th. In the meantime, check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.