”Robert John Downey Jr.” (born April 4, 1965) is an American actor who is best known for playing Tony Stark / Iron ManIron Man is a fictional superhero created by Marvel Comics. ... More in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). His portrayal of Iron ManIron Man is a fictional superhero created by Marvel Comics. ... More is widely credited with jumpstarting the MCU.
Casting as Iron Man
Downey was cast as industrialist Tony Stark / Iron ManIron Man is a fictional superhero created by Marvel Comics. ... More in the first Iron ManIron Man is a fictional superhero created by Marvel Comics. ... More film released in 2008. Director Jon Favreau pushed for Downey to be cast, despite the actor’s past legal troubles, because he felt Downey could make Stark a likable character. Downey’s performance as the witty and charismatic Stark drew praise and was a major success at the box office.
Reprising Iron Man
Following Iron ManIron Man is a fictional superhero created by Marvel Comics. ... More, Downey went on to reprise the role of Tony Stark/Iron Man in several other MCU films including Iron ManIron Man is a fictional superhero created by Marvel Comics. ... More 2 (2010), The Avengers (2012), Iron ManIron Man is a fictional superhero created by Marvel Comics. ... More 3 (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain AmericaCaptain America is a fictional superhero created by Marvel C... More: Civil War (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
His evolving portrayal of Tony Stark depicted the character’s struggles with identity, PTSD, and sacrifice across the MCU story arc. Downey’s performance anchored the MCU films and demonstrated his impressive range as an actor in the superhero genre.
Impact on the MCU
Downey’s dynamic performance established Tony Stark as a fan-favorite character in the MCU. It re-energized Downey’s career and influenced Marvel’s decision to focus on Iron ManIron Man is a fictional superhero created by Marvel Comics. ... More early on as a lead-in to crossover films like The Avengers.
The success of the first Iron ManIron Man is a fictional superhero created by Marvel Comics. ... More film paved the way for the expansive MCU and Downey’s starring role catapulted him into one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors, in fact, the highest-paid Marvel Avenger. Downey has credited the role of Tony Stark with profoundly changing his life and career.
