Robert Downey Jr. Credits One of His Biggest Flop Movie For His Oppenheimer Success
Even though people now believe Robert Downey Jr. was born to play Tony Stark, aka Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the recognition came later than Downey expected. After carrying the initial phases of the MCU on his iron shoulders, fans wanted the actor to be nominated for an Oscar for his iconic role. More importantly, he believes the roles he did other than Tony Stark marked a turning point for his career.
Also Read: Despite the Marvels’ Failure, the MCU Still has an Upper Hand that Many Movies Fail to Reach
Robert Downey Jr. Wins Golden Globe for Oppenheimer
Better late than never, Robert Downey Jr. finally got the recognition he deserved with his supporting role as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer. After winning the much-deserved Golden Globe in the latest awards ceremony, Downey reminisces on his exit from the ever-evolving Marvel Cinematic Universe and leaving behind the role he loved playing.
In a recent interview with W Magazine, Downey reveals that he became completely obsessed with emulating the Tony Stark character on screen as he lived with him for over 10 years. Even though Kevin Feige made it clear that the actor will not be seen in any Marvel movies henceforth, fans loved seeing Downey step out of the Marvel cocoon and perform more complex and diverse roles.
His first role after MCU exit was Dolittle, a movie that did not do well at the box office. He spoke about it on the latest podcast Literally! with Rob Lowe.
“I felt so exposed after being in the cocoon of Marvel where I think I did some of the best work I will ever do, but it went a little bit unnoticed because of the genre,” he said.
Understandably, Downey felt a bit out of place with roles other than Tony Stark. It takes time to let go of a character’s eccentricities and embrace another personality completely.
“I did myself a favour, because the rug was pulled so definitively out from underneath me and all the things that I was leaning on as opposed to what my understanding of confidence and security was, boy did they evaporate. And it rendered me teachable.”
After learning so much from failure and knowing his time would come, Downey was offered a coveted role in Christopher Nolan’s movie that shot him into critical acclaim in no time. Amidst the star-studded cast, Downey blossomed in his role and left an indelible impact on the audience.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Experience as Dolittle
Despite not doing very well at the box office, Downey calls Dolittle a very important movie in his career. It did not just get him out of a rut, but it also opened newer opportunities that he was hoping to capitalize on. In an interview with The New York Magazine, he said,
“I finished the Marvel contract and then hastily went into what had all the promise of being another big, fun, well-executed potential franchise in “Dolittle.” I had some reservations. Me and my team seemed a little too excited about the deal and not quite excited enough about the merits of the execution. But at that point I was bulletproof. I was the guru of all genre movies. Honestly, the two most important films I’ve done in the last 25 years are “The Shaggy Dog,” because that was the film that got Disney saying they would insure me. Then the second most important film was “Dolittle,” because “Dolittle” was a two-and-a-half-year wound of squandered opportunity.”
Furthermore, Downey emphasises how roles in Dolittle and Oppenheimer forced him to move away from his go-to character traits, including charming and fast-talking. Unlike Tony Stark, Dolittle and Strauss’s characters demand more from Downey than he could have anticipated, and he seems to be happy to do as much as he can.
