Robert Downey Jr. Reveals the Actor Who Inspired His Superhero Film Career

The Marvel Studios film Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr., premiered in 2008, marking the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, renowned for its cohesive storytelling. This film not only launched Downey back into international stardom but also held deep personal significance for him, reshaping both his career and his life.

As previously discussed, Downey faced severe personal struggles, which, despite his talent, nearly derailed his career. Before turning his life around in the early 2000s, he had a series of successful films, but his personal issues almost led to his downfall.

Iron Man was a pivotal moment for Downey, but do you know what inspired him to take on this role? There’s a story behind it: Downey was influenced by a very special actor to step into the world of superhero films.

In the early 2000s, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was still a concept, and superhero movies hadn’t yet become a major trend. Batman’s initial success had faded, Superman was a relic of the past, and the investment in similar franchises was waning. Blade faltered with its third installment, the X-Men films were just beginning, and Spider-Man was emerging as a notable exception.

At this time, the idea of the MCU was still a gamble, with superhero franchises failing one after another. Enter Spider-Man. Sam Raimi’s successful execution of the franchise catapulted Tobey Maguire to stardom. During this period, Downey spent time with Maguire and came to understand why superhero movies could be a viable and exciting avenue.

“In real-time, I saw how difficult they were, how rewarding they could be, and how popular [comic book films] were becoming. I had been clean long enough…hungry even longer and I could feel [the] obsession coming back with manifesting the best version of myself. I had strangely been furiously strength training six times a week before I even knew [this role] was coming, and my shrink had told me ‘Just start acting like something great is gonna happen and get ready for it.’”

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

He quickly auditioned for the role of Iron Man, and the rest is history.

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