Participating in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) presents a unique blend of pleasures and challenges. That being said, even our favorite superheroes occasionally have nightmares behind the scenes. Unknowingly stepping into a make-or-break role, Robert Downey Jr. began a pivotal period in his career when he played Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man. It was nerve-wracking, but the pressure to pull off a successful franchise launch paid off for him.
Mark Ruffalo, meanwhile, faced the challenging responsibility of filling the gigantic Bruce Banner/The Hulk shoes left by Eric Bana and Edward Norton. Gaining proficiency in two roles and overcoming fan skepticism were prerequisites for rebooting the character. His nuanced performance enthralled the crowd, and the rest is history in the MCU.
However, what happened when these Marvel stars convened to talk about their respective parts in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things? At Variety Studio: Actors on Actors, both actors discussed their Marvel days and admitted that there were times when they were unsure of what their characters were saying.
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Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo Struggled to Comprehend Their Marvel Film Lines
One of the most scientific aspects of the MCU has always been the dialogue between Bruce Banner and Tony Stark. Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo occasionally struggled to understand the lines because they were so complex at times. The former talked about his first screen test experience with technical dialogue in Variety’s Actors on Actors segment. He said this in reference to the time needed to memorize the lines:
“The last time I really, really did that was for the Iron Man screen test when there were these three scenes that I could have been off book in two days, but I just went crazy on them for two and a half months.”
He required three to five months to prepare for his Oppenheimer role as Lewis Strauss. Downey Jr. stated, elucidating the distinction between the roles and the Marvels:
“Well, I mean, in the Marvel days, everything might change, or we’re talking to a tennis ball. You and I, the science bros, we would’ve these long passages about absolute gobbledygook. But still, it’s important to us because we know it’s important to the characters.”
Ruffalo, his co-star, who shot to fame in 2012 as Bruce Banner/Hulk, added in the meantime.
“It was such a different world. They didn’t really cast people like us. I’ll never forget, I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’m right for this.’ And you’re like, ‘Come on, Ruffalo, we got this’.”
Downey carried on:
“I mean, we would just drive each other insane on set going, why can’t I retain this? But again, we know when it’s time to tighten things up a little bit.”
Numerous hours spent applying makeup, dressing in the outfit, and even speaking lengthy dialogues made these actors feel constricted and uneasy, making some scenes seem like real nightmares.
Robert Downey Jr. Looked For a ‘Level Of Depth’ in his role
The intricate nature of the lines did not stop Robert Downey Jr. from keeping Tony Stark/Iron Man fresh for over a decade. The actor’s achievement was explained by directors Joe and Anthony Russo to Vanity Fair:
The former admitted:
“When he’ll come back to set, Robert is famous for throwing the plan out the window and climbing on top of the couch and whatever, sort of going off-book. He does this because he likes to surprise himself. He likes to keep things fresh. He lights up for that.”
In addition, Anthony Russo said:
“There’s no other way that he could have played that character for 10 movies unless he was doing that. Robert has certainly lived a complicated life. He understands the stakes. He understands loss, he understands the turns life can take between ups and downs. He’s always looking for that level of depth, that level of complexity. I think he knows that’s what we all come to movies for in the first place.”
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Even superheroes like Downey Jr. do share nightmares while bringing to life our favorite Marvel characters. But his remarkable work has permanently changed the franchise, adding more depth and humanity to the adored character. In addition, he has portrayed dramatic roles in Oppenheimer (2023) and The Judge (2014).
