In today’s day and age, anything is possible with the help of digital manipulation and AI. The most recent example making waves features the Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. The deepfake video is placing the actor as MCU’s new Black Panther, a role previously helmed by the late Chadwick Boseman. But now, with the help of AI, it has transformed Downey Jr. into the new face of Wakanda.
The actor is no stranger to transformative roles, given his famous stint playing a method actor in Tropic Thunder. Now the deepfake video has further showcased the astonishing capabilities of AI.
Robert Downey Jr. Transforms Into Black Panther in Stunning AI Deepfake
A recently viral deepfake video of Robert Downey Jr.’s face swapped onto the late Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther has sent ripples through the internet. While the video in itself garnered a huge response in the comments section, it also brought to light his role in Tropic Thunder.
In the film, he plays an actor who is performing a role within the movie, embodying his famous line: “I’m just a dude playing a dude pretending to be another dude.”
MAN WHO DID THIS 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/SkDyjqviqg
— Zero (@zerowontmiss) August 6, 2024
In it, his character plays the role of Kirk Lazarus, a white Australian actor who undergoes a surgical procedure to play an African American soldier in a fictional war movie. Further, in the viral video, his face has been digitally edited onto Boseman, who was a black actor. Thus, creating a sense of similarity between the deep fake video and his role in the black satirical comedy.
The movie Tropic Thunder was quite memorable for serving as a biting satire of Hollywood’s issues. For instance, the heavy use of whitewashing and the exploitation of serious subjects for profits.
Further, in an interview with Joe Rogan Experience in 2020 (via Far Out Magazine), the Iron Man actor himself admitted that he had no regrets for playing the role. He added:
I thought, ‘Yeah, I’ll do that, I’ll do that after Iron Man, and then I started thinking, ‘this is a terrible idea, wait a minute. (Further) Then I thought, ‘hold on dude, get real here, where is your heart?’ and my heart is: A, I get to be black for a summer in my mind, so that’s in it for me.
The actor further defended his role in Tropic Thunder and argued that it was a deliberate attempt to expose the self-importance and inherent egos of Hollywood actors. Further, the role allowed him to hold a mirror up to the industry’s “insane self-involved hypocrisy” and “what they think they’re allowed to do on occasion.”
Robert Downey Jr. Recalled Being Appreciated by His Black Friends for Tropic Thunder Role
In the same Joe Rogan Experience interview, the Iron Man actor himself admitted that Tropic Thunder remains one of modern cinema’s most contentious movies. But he also added, “It was impossible to not have it be an offensive nightmare of a movie.” Further, almost ninety percent of his black friends have watched the movie and were like, “Dude, that was great.”
On this, Rogan questioned him about the remaining ten percent of his friends. To this, the actor acknowledged their perspective but added that he stands by his pure intentions. Further, it was never an excuse to do something inappropriate, but he believed the movie addressed the issue directly.
You can stream Tropic Thunder on Fubo, Paramount+, and Pluto TV.
