Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr. are both veteran actors who worked alongside each other in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since The Avengers back in 2012. The duo also worked on one other film with veteran director David Fincher, which is still one of the most talked about movies of all time.
Starring alongside each other in the 2007 film Zodiac, the duo had the opportunity to work with Fincher. After Downey Jr. worked with Christopher Nolan in Oppenheimer, he revealed that he found a new respect for Fincher and his directorial style!
When Robert Downey Jr. And Mark Ruffalo Worked With David Fincher
It was the year 2007 when veteran director David Fincher released his iconic film Zodiac. Based on the story of a real-life serial killer, the film follows an amateur cartoonist (Jake Gyllenhaal) and a reporter (Robert Downey Jr.) on the hunt for the killer known as Zodiac.
Mark Ruffalo portrays the role of detective Dave Toschi in the film, who meets up with the protagonist duo in the hopes of catching the killer. Fincher, known for movies like Se7en, Fight Club, and, Gone Girl, has developed a certain directorial style that seems irreplaceable.
In an interview, Ruffalo and Downey Jr. talked about the time when they were working with the acclaimed director. On Variety’s Actors on Actors discussion, Ruffalo joked that it was director David Fincher who invented the “delete” button, just so that he could get the perfect shot!
[‘Zodiac’] is on the top level of so many people’s favorites. He invented the delete button. There was no delete button ever in digital cinema and he specifically had it invented so that he could say, ‘We’re going to delete takes 1 through 45,’ and you’re just like, ‘No, no, no, no! 38 was my baby!’
Ruffalo further stated,
That movie…what a wild ride that was…
With great difficulty, the duo finished the film and Zodiac was ultimately released to the world. However, Fincher’s notorious directorial style didn’t stop there! When Robert Downey Jr. worked with Christopher Nolan on the sets of Oppenheimer, he was reminded of Mr. Fincher.
As the discussion further continued, the Oppenheimer actor talked about how it had been several years since he and Fincher had worked together. Downey r. revealed that he found a new respect for the Fight Club director for not giving up on his iconic style!
When Robert Downey Jr. Called David Fincher
The veteran actor earned an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, and Downey Jr. was beyond excited. After his performance in the 2023 film, the actor revealed that he called David Fincher!
While talking about the incident, Downey Jr. found an ultimate form of respect for Fincher and the unique way in which he made his films.
I called Fincher recently because in retrospect, everything changes. 15 years later, you have such a different perspective on stuff, you know? For me, after working with [Christopher] Nolan [on ‘Oppenheimer’]
He further continued,
I developed a new respect for Fincher. But I remember, that might have been the first time we really had our feet put to the fire with an exacting director. A real director, who does things a certain way.
Well, Fincher really proved the statements with the release of his 2023 Netflix film titled The Killer, which had the same feel as Zodiac. On the other hand, the 2007 film remains a masterpiece even after 17 years!
Zodiac received a rating of 7.7/10 on IMDB and a whopping 79% on Rotten Tomatoes. With Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. in prominent roles, the 2007 film is available to stream on Apple TV+ in the U.S.
