If we are to trace the current landscape of Hollywood back to when a major cultural shift happened, almost all of us would eventually settle on the day Robert Downey Jr. was seen as Tony Stark in the first Iron Man film. That movie was the catalyst for the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and we all know the rest.
Not just the film industry though, that role was also a major turning point in the life of the star as well, especially if you relate it to his tumultuous past. Thus, it is a widely assumed notion that the star has an incomprehensible emotional association with his role, but recently, he revealed that he may have felt all the emotions at first, but then, it all went away after a while.
Robert Downey Jr. Revealed His Admiration For Iron Man Dissipated After A While Of Portraying Him
One of the biggest and most revolutionary changes that were witnessed in the film industry was the result of the success that Marvel Studios managed to achieve with the creation and subsequent expansion of the MCU, and for that, they had to bow their heads down to Robert Downey Jr. His exceptional performance as Tony Stark and his titular superhero alter-ego in Iron Man was what made it all possible.
With such a huge milestone, a lot of memories and feelings get attached to one’s work, which also, unfortunately, leads to those fleeting emotions leaving a kind of eureka moment once the hype has died down. The Tropic Thunder actor felt the same after a while of playing the role of the face of the franchise until he took his leave from the MCU.
In his recent appearance at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Downey Jr. said that at first, his excitement for getting the role of Stark knew no bounds, but slowly, it simmered down to professional levels.
“It was so great to be associated with someone like that for a while…and then it wore off” – Robert Downey Jr. on his role as #IronMan during a conversation at #SBIFF #SBIFF2024 @SBIFF pic.twitter.com/cRKElyytxf
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 10, 2024
This should not be a surprising revelation by the star since everyone knows that sometimes, consistency leads to stagnancy, which needs to be overcome one way or the other. It’s also important to note that the star never disliked his role in the slightest, he just got accustomed to it to feel anything more special than he already did.
How The Role Of Iron Man Changed Robert Downey Jr.’s Life
The role of Iron Man wasn’t just a revolutionary event in the history of cinema, but it also was a turning point in the life of Downey Jr., who was expected to be nothing more than a forgotten celebrity in the future.
Before he became the immortal face of Tony Stark, the star was the face of Hollywood deviants who were a detriment to their own health. The star was known to abuse alcohol and drugs excessively, to the point that he was almost going to kill himself on several occasions. On top of that, he was a serial law offender who often had the authorities putting him behind bars.
But once he decided to change himself, which came in the form of a film role, he dedicated himself to it, and the rest is history.
Iron Man, streaming on Disney+.
