Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo are two of the biggest names in the Marvel Cinematic Universe when it comes to leaving an indelible mark in the minds of the viewers. Their respective portrayals of Tony Stark/ Iron and Bruce Banner/ The Hulk have been loved by the fans and over the years have several iconic moments that have added to their popularity and massive fanbase.
However, the much-adored characters were not the same in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame as Robert Downey Jr. made his exit from the franchise, and the Hulk that fans have grown up watching was friendly and nice to everyone. Now, in a recent segment of Variety’s Actors on Actors, they hinted at how the two actors were tired of reprising their superhero roles for over a decade.
Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo Hint Their Exhaustion From Playing Their MCU Roles
Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo played the roles of Iron Man and Hulk for 11 years, and shared the screen during the four Avengers films, which were a huge success at the worldwide box office.
However, in a recent segment of Variety’s Actors on Actors series, both actors were brought together where they talked about a plethora of stuff including their fatigue of playing their superhero roles in the MCU. During the interview, the Dolittle actor praised his co-star and how versatile he was as an actor, but how did he feel during the whole arc? Mark Ruffalo answered,
“It did scare the sh*t out of me, and I did say well, you know, this isn’t the kind of guy I play. You know, I had all that, I’m embarrassed to say and Sunny my wife, Sunrise was like ‘You have to do this’ and everyone was like you have to do it just like you have to do it. But you really have to get outside of your comfort zone, and you also start to doubt yourself like were saying, you know, you hit 55 and you’re kind of like, maybe it’s as good as I’ll get, maybe I’m on the downward slide of this thing.”
The Dark Waters actor added, “And I also at that time was like really kind of tired of my brand or you know, whatever people you put on yourself.” Robert Downey Jr. added to Ruffalo’s point on how it is not fine when people say that they must do it because others get tired of it.
“You know, and isn’t it funny when our wives with flat out say just don’t worry everyone else is tired of it too, that’s why, you need to do this.”
Their comments hint how they have shared their exhaustion from playing their MCU roles, but their love stopped them from quitting the role because they were a part of an integral unit in the MCU and millions of fans looked up to for their iconic portrayal of Iron Man and The Hulk.
Robert Downey Jr. Feels His Troubled Past Aided in His Success as Iron Man in MCU
The Oppenheimer actor is one of the biggest names in Hollywood, as he has played several iconic roles in his career, including his role as Tony Stark/ Iron in the MCU. However, in the late 90s and early 2000s, he was drowned in addiction and a series of legal troubles. As a result, many people believed, he had hit rock bottom, until he returned in MCU’s 2008, Iron Man.
Robert Downey Jr. turned his life around, and during an interview with Vanity Fair, he was asked about how much resembled his role, to which he answered.
“I ain’t him, I’ll tell you that flat out. There’s always a bit of a burn-off period when they run out of call sheets for me in any of these movies, and I go back to being a little bit more of just…I’m just a f**king actor. I’m just a guy—who does have a very interesting past, who does not regret it, who wished to shut the door on it. I think that that translates.”
The actor’s role not only aided in reviving his career but also in portraying a character that has become synonymous with his name and arguably bigger than the whole franchise.
Avengers: Endgame can be streamed on Disney+.
