After facing some extreme lows in his life, Robert Downey Jr. finally found the role that would turn his life upside down. Iron Man (2008) proved to be his saving grace as he soon went on to enlist among one of the world’s biggest stars thanks to the role. And while it has been years since Robert Downey Jr. ended his run as Iron Man, fans still consider him one of the best parts of the superhero world. That’s how good he was!
Getting to play a widely loved superhero from Marvel Comics was no small feat. However, since Iron Man was a huge gamble for both the Studios and Robert Downey Jr, it is intriguing to think about how the actors’ close ones reacted to the news. Well, while they were supportive of the opportunity, their reaction might have humiliated Robert Downey Jr. thanks to a comparison with Christopher Nolan.
How Robert Downey Jr’s Family Reacted to the Good News
Christopher Nolan and Robert Downey Jr’s Oppenheimer is currently playing in the theatres as fans flock to witness one of the most anticipated movies of all time. The pair recently joined WIRED to answer some of the Internet’s burning questions about them. One of the many questions was about how Downey became Iron Man.
Downey replied with a humble, “It was God’s will.” When Nolan asked, “That’s it? Really?” the actor further added that a “pretty good screen test” helped, too. Downey then recalled how his family and friends reacted to him playing Marvel’s leading man. Being brutally honest with the actor, his close ones let him know that Iron Man would work just fine, at least until Nolans’ The Dark Knight comes out.
“But I’ll really tell you what happened is, the same weekend I did a movie called Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Jon Favreau did a movie called Zathura. They both tanked and we were both really hungry to try to do something that would make an impact. And when Iron Man came out, everyone who knew me and loved me said, ‘This will do. Until The Dark Knight comes out.’ And here we are now.”
Well, it’s safe to say that while The Dark Knight was incredible in its own space, it did not lessen the hype for Downey’s Iron Man. After 2008, the Due Date actor became widely popular as the red-gold-suit-wearing superhero that fans absolutely adore!
How Robert Downey Jr. Actually Became Iron Man
Even though Jon Favreau and Downey were both hungry to make an impactful film, it was going to be a task trying to get the Studios to agree to cast Downey as Iron Man. However, Iron Man director Favreau had the actor’s back and he was just not going to take no for an answer.
During an interview for Texas radio station 100.3 Jack FM, Favreau opened up about why he took a chance with the casting and how the gamble ended up working in everyone’s favor.
“It was my job as a director to show that it was the best choice creatively…and now the Marvel Universe is the biggest franchise in film industry.”
Favreau also added that thanks to being heavily involved with the script of Iron Man and learning about the character, he knew Downey’s real-life story resonated with that of Tony Stark. It was almost as if the actor was made to play Tony.
“Everybody knew he was talented…Certainly by studying the Iron Man role and developing the script I realized that the character seemed to line-up with Robert in all the good and bad ways. And the story of Iron Man was really the story of Robert’s career.”
Favreau bet on Downey against all odds and he ended up winning the jackpot. Today, he is one of the highest-paid actors in the world. On top of that, Iron Man, a film that his close ones thought wouldn’t work after some time, is listed amongst other iconic films at the National Film Registry. Looks like Favreau and Downey proved everyone wrong.
You can stream the Iron Man trilogy on Disney+.
Source: WIRED
