It is difficult to distinguish Robert Downey Jr. and Tony Stark as separate entities when one watches his portrayal of the character in the MCU. The Oppenheimer alum took the world by storm with his portrayal of Tony Stark in the MCU, starting with 2008’s Iron Man, directed by Jon Favreau.
A lot of fans of the franchise were skeptical when Downey was cast as the genius, billionaire, playboy, Given the history that the actor had at the time, the skepticism was well placed. However, all doubts ceased when the film came out, and the rest as we know it is history.
Tony Stark’s signature sunglasses helped Robert Downey Jr. with the role
Iron Man served as a turning point for both Faverau and Downey. Despite multiple issues with their previous entries at the box office, Iron Man turned both their careers around. Downey, in conversation with Vanity Fair, talked about how the day-to-day set life worked:
“There is a scene where Iron Man is doing a weapon test and he says, ‘Is it better to be feared or respected? Is it too much to ask for both?’ and Jon and I were literally writing that line-by-line as we were shooting it that day. I put on sunglasses because it was all on cue cards. It was that kind of thing where we feel like it’s more important that we come up with this and we like it.”
The sunglasses that Stark wore on the scene made it easier for him to refer to cue cards, which had dialogues that were still being written that day on set. They added to the character of Stark, playing into his playboy, devil-may-care personality, it also helped the actor deliver the character’s lines while lines were still being committed to the script.
And thus, the MCU began
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for its strict continuity and the level of planning that goes into its films and related properties. This is a franchise that single-handedly changed the Hollywood landscape when it comes to long-form entertainment. To think that the film that started it all was taking such a rudimentary approach to script and shooting makes one wonder how far the franchise has come now.
Downey, along with the likes of Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Chris Evans (Captain America), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk), and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), have become household names thanks to the franchise. With rumors that all their characters are returning for the highly anticipated Avengers: Secret Wars, the excitement for the franchise is at an all-time high. Even though Downey retired from acting in 2019, he did make an appearance in Oppenheimer. Perhaps he will return from Secret Wars too?
