Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man aka Tony Stark will always be close to our hearts, despite the fact that it has been quite a few years since his final goodbye. With his realistic and blunt personality, Iron Man was a superhero like no other. And if there is one thing we can all agree on, it is that Robert Downey Jr. was the perfect choice for the role.
In fact, Robert Downey Jr. might be a bit more similar to Tony Stark than we think. Just like Tony used technology to save the planet from the ruthless villains, the actor is using it to save the planet from environmental harm. Robert Downey Jr. talks about how he implemented Tony’s thinking into real life and came up with two projects that contribute to Earth’s well-being – FootPrint Coalition and Downey’s Dream Cars.
How Robert Downey Jr. Came up with FootPrint Coalition
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Robert Downey Jr. founded the FootPrint Coalition which is a venture capital firm that invests in companies focusing on sustainability. On top of that, the firm also donates to non-profit organizations that promote adopting technology for the benefit of the environment.
You might be wondering what made Downey take this step toward environmental betterment. Well, the answer to that can be found in the actor’s Marvel Cinematic Universe journey. Talking to Esquire Middle East, Downey recalled how his adventures as Iron Man inspired him to do something for the planet.
“I was wrapping up my Marvel contract, and so I kind of made all the similarities between my journey in the Marvel universe along with what’s really happened with AI and robotics over the last 10, 15 years, and then I thought while I was doing this – I honestly should make some sort of commitment to the environment. And so I got together with a bunch of super-geniuses, and they said with AI and robotics we probably could clean up the planet in the next two years. I said, ‘Let’s do it, let’s get it done!’”
However, just like Iron Man had to face some setbacks with his fellow Avenger and good friend, Captain America, Downey was also let down by his colleagues. Disappointed with the “inefficiency,” the actor decided to take things into his own hands and with a snap of the fingers (too soon?), made the world a little better.
“Immediately they started backtracking and I felt pissed off by the inefficiency of the human experience, and so I thought, I’m just going to see if I can do something about this.”
There’s no stopping Downey once he puts his mind to something. Sounds like someone is really taking a few pages out of Tony Stark’s notebook!
Robert Downey Jr. Talks about Transforming His Cars
Downey will soon be coming out with a TV series, Downey’s Dream Cars, where he will be seen working alongside a team of experts to restore six classic cars. These cars will be from the Due Date actor’s personal collection. Downey’s team will work to update the cars all while making them better for the environment.
When asked about the motivation behind this, Downey stated,
“What I am is a red-blooded American boy, who grew up in New York, watching the French Connection and Bullet. 42 years later, I amassed a collection, which is what I thought you were meant to do when you become successful. You’re supposed to collect things; you’re supposed to have artifacts of your success. You are supposed to be able to drive these symbols of how you’ve succeeded in America. My priorities are in a completely different place now, and yet, I still love these cars. I feel like they represent something uniquely beautiful about the past. So, I want to bring them into the present, maybe even the future.”
In a press release, Downey stated how he felt like a hypocrite working on the Footprint Coalition as he himself was a “petrol-spewing mess.” Now, he is ready to make things right as he and his team will “evaluate, educate, and decarbonize” the vehicles he loves so much.
Downey’s Dream Cars will release on June 22 and will be available to stream on Max.
Source: Esquire Middle East
