Robert Downey Jr’s Favorite MCU Movie isn’t Any of the Avengers or Iron Man Films
Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man is a testimony to Maya Angelou’s words that people might forget what you said or what you did but they will never forget how you made them feel. It single-handedly jumpstarted Marvel’s journey and paved the way for an empire. In the 90s, Marvel almost went bankrupt and tried to sell the rights to Iron Man but no one was willing to take it on. Marvel, in the end, bet everything on it and created history.
The character is not just special to Marvel but to Robert Downey Jr as well. They both share the same smart mouth, past struggles with substance abuse and are both proud men. Iron Man also resuscitated Downey Jr’s career and gave him unprecedented fame at a time when producers were wary of approaching him due to his drug-related problems.
So, many would think that when talking about their favorite Marvel movie, Robert Downey Jr would undoubtedly pick Iron Man in a heartbeat. However, his favorite MCU movie is not any of the Avengers or Iron Man films.
What Is Robert Downey Jr’s Favorite MCU Movie?
In the book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards, the Avengers core cast were discussing their pick for the best Marvel movie, and much to the surprise of many fans, both Hulk and Iron Man decided that the Guardians of the Galaxy series is the ultimate GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Although Guardians of the Galaxy has its own charm, it came across as slightly unexpected because Iron Man is the movie that saved the MCU from bankruptcy and launched a controversial actor like Robert Downey Jr into international fame. Mark Ruffalo, who plays Hulk in the MCU, felt like it changed things in Marvel in a really positive manner, as it was not connected to anything for the longest period of time.
“It could go into space, it could be funny, it could be colorful, it has a style that’s totally disconnected from the rest of the Marvel Universe.”
Robert Downey Jr agreed and cheekily said,
“‘Galaxy’ in some ways is the best Marvel movie ever. And it’s odd for someone with — on occasion — an ego the size of mine to actually say that.”
Much like Iron Man, back when Guardians of the Galaxy was in production, everyone at Marvel was rather nervous about how it would be received. After all, it had a talking tree and a gangster raccoon as one of the main protagonists. It was fun, quirky, and really distinct from all other MCU movies. However, James Gunn established the series with his audacious ideas and direction, which completely changed the fate of this seemingly doomed project. It even paved the way for even weirder MCU heroes like Dr Strange.
Robert Downey Jr Recites Bad Past Reviews At The Critics Choice Awards
As Taylor Swift would have said, “‘Tis the damn season” of Robert Downey Jr since he has been dominating the award circuit since the beginning of 2024. Robert Downey Jr is not letting go of this opportunity to clap back at haters, especially critics, who left scathing remarks on his acting prowess all throughout his career. In an ironic manner, he used a good portion of his speech to point out all the negative reviews the Critics Choice Association had left about him in the past (via. People).
“The first one’s kinda like haiku: ‘sloppy, messy and lazy.’ The second one’s more metaphoric: ‘Like Pee-wee Herman emerging from a coma. This was from a Brit: ‘A puzzling waste of talent,’ And lastly — and this one lingered — ‘amusing as a bed-locked fart.’”
Also Read: Robert Downey Jr Blames Superhero Movies for His Iron Man Role Going “Unnoticed”
The actor was pitted against Robert De Niro for Killers of the Flower Moon, Ryan Gosling for Barbie, Mark Ruffalo for Poor Things, Sterling K. Brown for American Fiction, and Charles Melton for May December in the same category. Previously, he won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor just a week prior to this.
All three Guardians of the Galaxy movies are available to watch on Disney+.
