“I don’t need to rehearse it”: Bull-Headed Robert Downey Jr Shut Down MCU Movie for 6 Weeks, Refused to Rehearse a Scene That Led to Major Injury

Robert Downey Jr. sustained an ankle injury while filming Iron Man 3's climax with Guy Pearce.

"I don't need to rehearse it": Bull-Headed Robert Downey Jr Shut Down MCU Movie for 6 Weeks, Refused to Rehearse a Scene That Led to Major Injury

SUMMARY

  • Robert Downey Jr. sustained a severe ankle injury during the filming of Iron Man 3.
  • The incident occurred when RDJ, in full Tony Stark mode, refused to rehearse the climax of the movie.
  • Although RDJ left the universe after Iron Man got a beautiful ending in Avengers: Endgame, it looks like the MCU might be on a journey to bring him back to revive the old MCU magic.
Show More
Featured Video

Robert Downey Jr. was subjected to a major injury on the set of his Iron Man 3 when he broke his ankle. The incident occurred when the star went into full Tony Stark mode and refused to rehearse a stunt sequence. As revealed by the Aldrich Killian fame, Guy Pearce, things went wrong and the accident caused the movie to stall for five or six weeks.

Advertisement
Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man
Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man

Guy Pearce gave a memorable performance as Aldrich Killian in the 2013 movie. The MCU villain revealed the off-screen drama from the movie involving Robert Downey Jr. Injuries on set aren’t something new as often many actors prefer to perform the stunt on their own instead of opting for a double.

Also Read: “Obviously I’m not going to do this story”: Kevin Feige Nearly Saved the Most Infamous Robert Downey Jr. Marvel Movie

Advertisement

What happened to Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man 3?

Robert Downey Jr. made a massive contribution to the MCU as the Iron Man. He attained a Legendary position over the years and amassed uncountable fans rooting for him. However, he also stalled the production of Iron Man 3 after he refused to rehearse the climax of the movie and was left injured.

The Iron Man 3 final battle scene
Guy Pearce in the Iron Man 3 final battle scene

When Guy Pearce sat for a conversation with GQ, he recalled the scenario and said that Robert Downey Jr. broke his ankle while jumping from one platform to another. Precisely, both the actors were filming the end-battle sequence between Iron Man and the Extremis-infused Aldrich Killian when the accident happened.

“Robert broke his ankle in the middle of that film, ’cause he had to a stunt where he had to jump from one platform down to another platform and be on a cable. They went to rehearse it, and he said, ‘No, I don’t need to rehearse it,’ and he jumped, and the guy holding the cable wasn’t ready or something, and he landed hard, and he broke his ankle, so the film sort of shut down for 5 or 6 weeks.”

It led the Oppenheimer actor to limp for a long period after the filming resumed. Many CGI altercations were also done so that no signs of difficulty could be seen. The movie turned out to be a major MCU blockbuster earning over $1 billion.

Advertisement

It can’t be denied that Robert Downey Jr. was a major reason for MCU’s popularity. However, he left the universe after Iron Man got a beautiful ending in Avengers: Endgame. But looks like the MCU might be on a journey to bring him back to revive the old MCU magic.

Also Read: “There is gonna be a sacrifice”: One Loki 2 Easter Egg Hints Marvel May Re-create Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man’s Death-Like Moment In Tom Hiddleston’s Hit Show

Will Robert Downey Jr. return to the MCU?

Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame
Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame

It can’t be denied that the MCU has lost its charm in the post-Endgame phase. The majority of the projects couldn’t live up to the mark and were plagued with issues like poor VFX and screenplay. Most of the new characters couldn’t leave an impact on the audience as well. In this dire situation of the MCU, Marvel Studios is reportedly considering bringing its iconic heroes back.

Advertisement

As recently reported by Variety‘s Tatiana Siegel, the Kevin Feige cartel has been in talks to make another Avengers movie with the OG heroes. This indicates that many iconic heroes like Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, Chris Evans’ Captain America, and Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow might be returning to the MCU.

But it is also to be remembered that Iron Man received a beautiful ending in Endgame and bringing him back without proper conviction can backfire badly. On top of that Robert Downey Jr. has also stated that he wouldn’t return without a “compelling argument“. Now it will be interesting to watch if the reports turn true and they weave a convincing storyline for such a feat.

Also Read: “That’s f**king bananas”: Iron Man 3 Writer Had “Extraordinary lack of sleep” When He Came Up With the Script 

Advertisement

Iron Man movies can be streamed on Disney+.

Avatar

Written by Subham Mandal

Articles Published: 1104

Subham Mandal is currently working as a content writer for FandomWire with an ardent interest in the world of pop culture. He has written more than 1000 articles on different spheres of modern pop culture and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He’s also an experienced student journalist having demonstrated work experience with the Times of India. He aspires to be a column writer in the future.