Robert Downey Jr. Didn’t Think Twice Before Accepting Iron Man Because of Jon Favreau’s 1 Underrated Movie That Left Him Awestruck
Iron Man made Robert Downey Jr.’s career. Many fans believe he was born to play Tony Stark. There aren’t many differences between RDJ’s on-screen and off-screen persona as Iron Man. Minus the superpowers and red suit for which his charm and sense of humor make up.
Going from a drug addict in jail to one of the biggest names in the entertainment industry; doing Iron Man changed RDJ’s life. Being a beloved indie actor and getting the opportunity to work in a studio film is a big deal. That was a weird time in RDJ’s career when he said yes to Iron Man. RDJ recently revealed why he didn’t have any apprehension about this step in his career.
Robert Downey Jr. Never Thought Twice Before Accepting Iron Man
Robert Downey Jr. has had his fair share of obstacles and issues in life. He was in and out of prison multiple times throughout his 20s for substance abuse. After multiple trials, and trips to the jail and rehab facilities, RDJ got his foot back in the film business. His work in films like Diane Arbus and Good Luck established him as one of the most critically acclaimed actors in Hollywood.
He largely worked in independent music and had the reputation of a skilled actor. He never really had a “blockbuster” studio film. The unfamiliar is often scary but RDJ did not hesitate accepting the offer of playing Iron Man. The reason is Jon Favreau’s movie Swingers, a romcom from the 90s.
Favreau was directing Iron Man and being a fan of his, having him in the director’s chair was incentive enough for RDJ. He explained his thought process on THR’s Actors’ Round Table Conference, saying:
“Anyone who knows Jon Favreau- I remember seeing Swingers, and that monologue he has, and I was like, ‘And he wrote this? Who is this guy?’ Also, he went to Bronx Science, and he was doing the Improv in Chicago, and we’re both from Queens? We were meant to do this thing.”
The actor echoed the emotions of his fans by saying that being Iron Man was meant to be.
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Robert Downey Jr. Revealed No One Had Expected Iron Man to Become Such a Cultural Phenomenon
RDJ also revealed how no one saw Iron Man becoming the cultural phenomenon it became. He argued that Favreau had an “indie approach to a genre movie”. Either way, Iron Man brought RDJ global stardom, even if no one expected that. As he told THR:
“There was no real certainty that this was even going to take off. Iron Man was a second-tier hero. They [Marvel] let the lunatics run the asylum for a little while, so it was completely an indie approach to a genre movie to begin with.”
His admiration for Favreau’s work caused him to never doubt his decision to take up Iron Man. And millions are grateful that he didn’t because it is unimaginable to have someone else play the role.
Iron Man is available for streaming on Disney+.
