It is a truth universally acknowledged that there is no other actor than Robert Downey Jr. who could have portrayed Iron Man in a better way. Just as unique as he is, he makes Iron Man even more unique, making it easily one of the most liked and even on occasion disliked characters.
A perfect embodiment of the comic-book superhero, Downey says that his approach to his popular Marvel character was more inspired by Bruce Lee than the conventional typical approach to playing superheroes.
Robert Downey Jr. Took Inspiration From Bruce Lee For Playing Iron Man
Robert Downey Jr.‘s Iron Man may have died in Avengers: Endgame, but his legacy lives on. Not only was his casting absolutely perfect in capturing the very essence of the comic-book character, but he as Iron Man made the Marvel character more enjoyable. Seeing his portrayal, there is an inevitable question of where did the inspiration come from. Answering the question, Downey states,
“I am Iron Man. Now, what kind of Iron Man do I wanna be?”
The Oppenheimer star ponders as millions fret over his charismatic portrayal of the genius billionaire.
“The Daniel Craig, someone-just-packed-clay-on-my-shoulders-and-chest thing is played out.”
Robert Downey Jr. points out referring to the very traditional and archaic perception of superheroes. He uses Daniel Craig as James Bond for comparison to hint at the conventional approach to playing superheroes based on depicting physical strength and masculinity. However, Downey then states he would rather play a more Bruce Lee-esque superhero.
“I’d rather go a little more Enter the Dragon style.”
Drawing a comparison to Bruce Lee’s martial arts philosophy and physicality. Not only does he wants Iron Man to be more agile, graceful, and unique but also includes dynamism and individuality. And he is not wrong to do so, since it is his unique approach that fans extremely adore.
Also Read: House of Lee: Bruce Lee Anime Trailer Released – Who Voices the Iconic Kung Fu Legend?
Robert Downey Jr. On Why He Is Perfect For Playing Iron Man
While we are certainly not the ones asking the question and neither are fans, there have been numerous critics along these 15 or so years. Hence, to answer in a very Tony Stark-like manner, Robert Downey Jr. once stated,
“Why am I the guy for this job? Because the story is the most duplicitous and conflicted of all the Marvel characters, because he’s really just a guy who gets put in an extraordinary set of circumstances–partially due to his own character defects and partially due to his lineage–and you can pick a f*cking million Joseph Campbell myths and look ’em up, but none of them apply more to me, and there’s nothing I could bring more to than this job and this story.”
The celebrated actor claims he subtly yet very slyly declares that he is the perfect person as he is as flawed an individual as Tony Stark while at the same time as charismatic and genius. This again, humorously implies that Iron Man seems to be tailor-made for nobody else than Robert Downey Jr. and it is a fact that nobody can disagree.
Watch Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man in the Avengers franchise on Disney+.
Source: Esquire
