Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is nothing short of iconic. His charismatic performance not only breathed life into the character but also made Iron Man one of the most beloved superheroes in the world.
However, bringing the genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist to the big screen came with its own set of challenges, particularly when it came to wearing the Iron Man suit and mastering the flying scenes. Meanwhile, the actor in an interview stated the most challenging thing he had to go through in the movie.
What was the Hardest Thing Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man 1?
Robert Downey Jr.‘s portrayal of Iron Man is widely regarded as one of the most iconic and beloved superhero performances of all time. However, it’s not a cakewalk. He faced many challenges while giving the character life.
From wearing the incredibly heavy and bulky Iron Man suit to filming the flying scenes, it had everything.
The flying scenes were also challenging. Downey Jr. often had to be suspended in the air on wires for hours on end, and he had to learn how to coordinate his movements with the special effects team. Downey Jr. underwent extensive training to ensure he could convincingly perform these scenes.
In an interview with Cinema.com, the actor said:
“The flying sequence, where he’s testing out the boots, that was a huge deal for us. I’d been prepping for that and training for that moment. It winds up being maybe a minute and a half in the movie. We really felt like that was the thing, that’s where Iron Man achieves something no-one has ever done before. And he does it alone and we felt that was really important. I felt like we delivered something that was more than what was just expected on the call sheet.”
However, according to him, the hardest thing to do in the movie was to stay balanced and focused. He said:
“Staying balanced and focused for the entirety of the shoot. I wanted to push the envelope and I wanted to feel good at the end of every day if possible.”
Meanwhile, Downey has retired from the Marvel films after Avengers: Endgame, but there has been speculation about a possible return.
Robert Downey Jr. Said He Was Absolutely Blinded by the First Iron Man Suit
In Netflix’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman., MCU star Robert Downey Jr. revealed how uncomfortable the Iron Man suit used to be years ago.
“Initially, everything was really there,” Downey told Letterman.
“They wanted to spend as little as they could on CG replacement,” he said. “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… Then these LED lights went on,” Downey continued. “And it was like Manchurian Candidate… I was absolutely blinded.”
In later films, due to the advancement in filmmaking technology, his suit became more and more computer-generated imagery and less of a solid piece of metal.
Watch Iron Man movie on Disney Plus.
