Robert Downey Jr. is well known for playing the role of Tony Stark aka Iron Man. RDJ’s Iron Man, released in 2008, was the first movie that kicked off the beginning of blockbuster MCU Phase 1. Ever since his first appearance as Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr. was adored by fans for his perfect depiction of the character.
The Iron Man star has reprised his fan-favorite role in numerous Marvel movies but finally bid adieu to the character in Avengers: Endgame, where our hero sacrificed himself to save the entire universe from Thanos. It is unclear when and if the fans will again be able to see Robert Downey Jr. back as Iron Man. MCU continues to expand its Universe by introducing several young promising heroes. And of course, the alumni have never hesitated once to guide these young heroes in their journey. Recently Dominique Thorne opened up about the advice she received from RDJ.
Robert Downey Jr. Felt Dominique Thorne Was Doing Good in Her Superhero Journey
Dominique Thorne who has been playing the role of Riri Williams aka Ironheart made her proper MCU Debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Thorne plays the role of Riri Williams who is an MIT student and has made her armor just like Tony Stark. Thorne recently opened up about her conversation with Robert Downey Jr. on their first meeting. The young actress shared her excitement about her conversation with the world-famous superstar. Thorne mentioned that because of the critical timing of their first conversation, Robert Downey Jr. believed that the Ironheart star was doing pretty well on her own.
“He did. You know, it was actually a really great conversation. And I think the timing of it especially was what was probably the most significant. This was right at the tail-end of filming. So obviously, I’m sure, as you can imagine, it was such a whirlwind one. So, he and I didn’t really have much chance to connect prior to, but maybe that worked out pretty well, because, actually, the first thing he said in our conversation, or toward the end of the conversation, was that he didn’t have any advice for me. And he felt like I was actually pretty okay and that I’d be all right.”
Also Read: Ironheart’s Dominique Thorne Talks Landing The Role
Robert Downey Jr.’s Advice To Dominique Thorne
Though the Sherlock Holmes star initially stated that he didn’t have any advice for the young charismatic actress, yet his following words made a big impact on Thorne, who added that she will keep the words received from her Marvel seniors very close to her heart.
“And he shared a lot about… making sure that Riri is her own person, and all of the things that I can obviously attribute to her existence, and what it means, and what it represents, and what it can offer… Really just in the vein of being authentic to that, and true to that, and nurturing that. And then, I think, the second half, I have to keep near and dear to my heart. He definitely gave me a piece… some words of encouragement… as I continue to navigate all that this life could be, which I appreciate. But yeah, it was, it was a good conversation for sure.”
Thorne’s character which had been represented in comics as a direct inspiration from Iron Man, and has also been depicted using armor based on Stark’s AI. The obvious similarities in two of their heroes’ names hint at the very fact that the two superheroes are associated with each other in one way or the other. Yet no legit connection between the two heroes is yet established on the screen. Fans are eagerly waiting to see any possible connection between Thorne and RDJ.
Thorne will soon be seen reprising her role of Riri Williams in the upcoming Disney+ TV series titled Ironheart. As per Thorne, her portrayal in the Black Panther sequel only represented the one-sided story of her character, and that complete justice to her character will be done in her most awaited solo series.
Ironheart will be released in late 2023 with a total of six episodes.
Source: The Direct
