Robert Downey Jr. is one of the most well-recognized and respected actors in all of Hollywood. He has made a name for himself through perhaps, the most iconic character of all time, Iron Man. His work with the Marvel Cinematic Universe has laid the foundation for who he is today, being a seemingly unknown actor before his work as the superhero.
Over the course of his career, Downey has been very open about his past struggles with addiction and substance abuse as well as sobriety. What many may not know, however, is the fact that a part of this journey was attributed to the MCU which very quickly, became an aspect of his character.
Tony Stark’s Obsession With Cheeseburgers
There is a very big aspect of Robert Downey Jr.‘s Tony Stark that has an incredibly heart-warming origin. He has always had a fixation and obsession with cheeseburgers. The first time this was mentioned was in Iron Man when Stark was rescued after being kidnapped. Obadiah Stane, a close friend who turns into a villain, expected Stark to want to go back to work, making more creative and destructive weapons. This did not happen as Downey’s character declined and stated that he wanted a cheeseburger instead.
This can be seen as a way for his character to let go of his past wrongdoings and focus on the future and making things right. This follows through until Downey’s very last appearance in the MCU, in Avengers: Endgame. Morgan Stark, his daughter, is asked what she wants to do after attending her father’s funeral, to which she says that she wants to eat a cheeseburger. What is surprising, however, is the fact that there is a reason why Downey put in this long-running obsession and it has to do with his sobriety.
What Was Robert Downey Jr’s Reason To Put This In Iron Man?
During an interview, Robert Downey Jr. talked about his close connection with cheeseburgers and their relation to his sobriety. The actor talked about a time when he was driving around Los Angeles with a lot of drugs in his car. Being nervous because of this, the star stopped at Burger King to get himself something to eat. When he took a bite of his cheeseburger, he was disgusted at its taste, which was followed by him suddenly feeling like something bad was going to happen.
While this might sound odd, Downey went on to say that he immediately drove to the ocean and discarded all of the drugs there. After this, he never touched these substances again, becoming the end of this vicious cycle and having been sober for 20 years. The star has gone on to say that his reasons for his sobriety now are his wife, Susan Downey, who he has been married to since 2005.
Source: NY Daily News
