“F*ck this guy”: Robert Downey Jr. Couldn’t Deal With Chris Hemsworth While Filming Avengers, Planned A Heist With Jeremy Renner
Robert Downey Jr. is one of the most talented actors in Hollywood. The Iron Man of the entertainment world is basking in the success of his collaboration with legendary filmmaker Christopher Nolan Oppenheimer. He played the character of Lewis Strauss in the biographical drama along with Cillian Murphy who was seen as J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Robert Downey Jr. is not only a great actor, but also has an eye for talent. The Doctor Dolittle actor was intimidated by an Australian actor who later went on to become one of the biggest stars of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
When Robert Downey Jr. Was Intimated By His Marvel Co-Star Chris Hemsworth
During an appearance on the famous podcast show Armchair Podcast by Dax Sheperd, Hawkeye actor Jeremy Renner spoke about his association with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Chris Hemsworth, and the master plan of Robert Downey Jr. to break the knees of the Thunder God. While talking about 2012’s The Avengers, he said-
“If you ever played any sports, it was like joining a new team. I knew Robery Downey Jr., I knew Scarlett Johansson, I just didn’t know Chris Hemsworth,”
Dax Sheperd interrupted-
“From what I hear, he’s a pretty great guy,”
Robert Downey Jr. with Jeremy Renner
“Yeah, he’s amazing, but we didn’t know, right? On the first day, we’re all waiting around in our costumes. It looks like it’s Halloween. We’re excited but equally feeling ridiculous. I feel like we all knew each other somehow, someway, except for this Hemsworth guy, because he comes from Australia.”
While talking about Robert Downey Jr. he said-
“And he’s the tallest, the most good-looking… Downey was like, ‘We gotta break his knee. We gotta take him out. This guy’s too good-looking. He’s too tall, he’s too charming, fuck this guy.’”
It is next to impossible to believe that someone as good-looking, successful, and extremely talented as Robert Downey Jr. can feel intimated by someone, no doubt Chris Hemsworth looks no less than a Greek God.
Robert Downey Jr. Had Almost Lost the Iron Man role To Actor Clive Owen
To envision someone else in the suit of Iron Man is beyond our imagination, but not many people know that Robert Downey Jr. was not the initial choice for the character of Tony Stark. During the graduation ceremony for the University of Southern California, Marvel Studio president Kevin Feige revealed about the casting of Iron Man. He confessed-
“When we were casting the role of Iron Man, we looked at so many different actors. We had to find the perfect mix of heart and strength and charisma. Being our first Marvel film out of the gate, the stakes could not have been higher. The success of the film and the future of our entire studio rested on the shoulders of this one person.”
He further explained that actor Clive Owen was their initial choice for the superhero, but the actor was not interested in the role. He said-
“And it was not an easy task, but together with my team and our casting directors and our director, Jon Favreau, we culled down our list, we pinpointed the right guy, and we extended an offer to our top choice – an actor who checked all of those boxes and who we were confident would be a huge hit. And his name, of course, was Clive Owen. He passed. He was not interested.”
Clive Owen rose to fame during the late 90s and has been associated with critically acclaimed projects like The Bourne Identity, Inside Man, Sin City, and Children Of Men. With Robert Downey Jr. stepping into the shoes of the Iron Man, it is next to impossible to imagine someone else portraying the role. He has been the face of Marvel’s Iron Man for more than a decade.
Source: Armchair Experts
