"That role chose me": Robert Downey Jr. expresses his willingness to return as Iron Man in Marvel movies

Robert Downey Jr., despite his Oscar, expresses willingness to don his Iron Man suit for another stint in the MCU. In a recent interview with Esquire, published on April 8, Downey was asked if he would return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as an Academy Award winner. He replied:

"Happily. It’s too integral a part of my DNA. That role chose me. And look, I always say, Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige. It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win."

His portrayal of Tony Stark in Iron Man (2008), kickstarted the MCU, leading to the climactic Avengers: Endgame (2019). After portraying the snarky superhero for over a decade, Downey's Tony Stark became a beloved character not only in the superhero genre but also among fans worldwide.

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Robert Downey Jr. and his career since the MCU

Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in 'Iron Man' (Image via X/@iron_man)

It has been almost five years since Robert Downey Jr. last portrayed Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, onscreen. With his first appearance in the 2008 film directed by Jon Favreau, Downey ended his decade-long MCU career with his character's death in Avengers: Endgame.

Having gained worldwide fame and success due to his role as Tony Stark, the actor is quite fond of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reflected on his Marvel days in Esquire's new episode of Explain This. He remarked:

"I believe the Marvel experience creates tight-knit relationships because it had never really been done before—making a cinematic universe. And everyone needed to get points on the board. Every franchise, this and that, needed to work and succeed, and there was particularly a ten-ish-year run where it just had this quantum effect."

Iron Man and other superheroes in 'Captain America: Civil War' (Image via X/@iron_man)

Since then, the 59-year-old actor has ventured into other projects such as Dolittle (2020) and Christopher Nolan's 2023 film Oppenheimer. For the latter, Robert Downey Jr. clinched the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Lewis Strauss during the 96th Annual Academy Awards held on March 11, 2024.

Besides an Oscar, he also won a Golden Globe, BAFTA, and SAG award for the same role. While he took a huge pay cut for the part, Downey described Oppenheimer during its UK premiere as "the best film I've ever been in."

In 2022, he produced and starred in a documentary about his relationship with his father titled Sr. The documentary was made available on Netflix after its premiere at the 2022 Telluride Film Festival. Additionally, Downey serves as a producer on the Netflix fantasy drama Sweet Tooth.

Along with his wife Susan Downey, the actor runs a production company named Team Downey. In addition to Netflix projects, the company has produced works such as The Judge and Perry Mason. In 2024, he teamed up with Craig Dubitsky to launch a coffee company called Happy.

Beyond entertainment, Robert Downey Jr.'s ventures extend to writing a book. In January 2024, he published a book titled Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Footprint One Bite at a Time, co-authored with journalist Thomas Kostigen.

Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man (Image via X/@iron_man)

The actor is set to appear in the upcoming television series The Sympathizer. A spy drama infused with dark humor, Robert Downey Jr. will portray several characters in the series.

Scheduled to debut on HBO on April 14, The Sympathizer will also be available for streaming on Max.