Robert Downey Jr. is one of the most well-known actors in Hollywood. He has starred in countless movies and is quite famous for his portrayal of Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actor played the iconic role in 9 Marvel movies. His performance was so good that even today people associate the actor with that role.
However, not many people know that Robert Downey Jr. hated his Iron Man helmet, mainly because he couldn’t see and it was very uncomfortable. He explained that the suit gradually got comfortable towards the end of his final Marvel movie.
Robert Downey Jr. hated the Iron Man helmet
In 2020, actor Robert Downey Jr. appeared on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman and talked about his most iconic role, Iron Man. While the Iron Man armor looked really good, it had several disadvantages. The actor said,
“Initially, everything was really there. They wanted to spend as little as they could on CG replacement, so I remember this helmet went on, and there’d be a shot, and I’d be in this whole suit, and they’d say… ‘All right, Robert, it’s like you landed on the roof, so when we say action, just go like that, like you just landed, and then start moving forward.’ So I put this helmet on, and it slammed closed, and I couldn’t see anything, and then these LED lights went on, and it was like The Manchurian Candidate… I was absolutely blinded,” he further added, “The helmet was really hard, it’s really hot, you can’t breathe, and it was just a pain in the a** but, you know, so worth it.”
Despite the discomfort caused by the helmet, Robert Downey Jr. was a professional and didn’t let it affect his performance.
The suit eventually got better
The actor further explained that the suit in the first movie was a “prototype” and they eventually made some modifications to make it comfortable,
“The first suit, it was sort of like a prototype and then we started to get the look of it, and then by the third one, we really had it down.” He also added, “We had some issues with the first one. It was hard to breathe. And then they’re like, ‘We’re going to paint it black inside,’ and I was like, ‘Well, then I’m going to need a stunt double for the scenes where I have to run because I’m going to pass out.'”
Even though Robert Downey Jr. hated the helmet, it was an essential part of his costume, it helped him to get into character and become Tony Stark/Iron Man.
Also read: Robert Downey Jr. Was Ready for A Paycut to Return to Marvel After $251M Flop With Tom Holland
Robert Downey Jr. has left his Iron Man days behind
The actor’s exit from the MCU disheartened a lot of fans and many people want to see him reprise his role in future movies. The actor once said,
“When you’re in the MCU, there’s a feeling of all life beginning and ending with it. But there’s life outside too. I can confirm this. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. I have alighted for now. Real-world to save. But never say never.”
Robert Downey Jr. received several awards for his portrayal of Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He won a Saturn Award for Best Actor for his performance in Iron Man in 2009, and a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Movie Star in 2013. Apart from this, he has bagged countless nominations for his performance.
Source: My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman
