Robert Downey Jr. Has One Complaint About Playing Iron Man In The MCU

While Robert Downey Jr. was showered with fame and fortune playing Stark Industries magnate Tony Stark-Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe from 2008 to 2019, the acclaimed actor admitted that playing the legendary superhero came with a downside that was out of his control.

During an interview with fellow actor Rob Lowe on his "Literally!" podcast, Downey said the superhero genre appears limiting because of the public's perception of comic book movies. In truth, Downey said, his performances in them are much deeper than he got credit for.

"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," Downey told Lowe.

Downey, of course, was established as a film star prior to his work in the MCU, appearing in such hit films as "Weird Science," "Natural Born Killers," and "Home for the Holidays." His titular turn in the 1994 biopic "Chaplin" earned Downey his first Oscar nomination for best actor, which was followed by a best supporting actor nod for playing an extreme method actor in the 2008 comedy, "Tropic Thunder."

Robert Downey Jr. appears to be in line for his third Oscar nomination for a supporting role in writer-director Christopher Nolan's historical epic "Oppenheimer." Downey's turn as founding US Atomic Energy Commission member Lewis Strauss has so far earned him a best supporting actor Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations in the category from the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Critics' Choice Association.

Sandwiched in between the movie blockbusters "Avengers: Endgame" and "Oppenheimer" for Downey, though, was "Dolittle." The film unfortunately had an underwhelming box office return of $251.5 million worldwide against a $175 million budget.

Downey was humbled by the tepid reception to "Dolittle," though, which coupled with the complacency he experienced in the MCU, set him up for a valuable lesson to learn in showbiz going forward. "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," Downey told Lowe. "And it rendered me teachable."

Luckily for Downey, the teacher was Christopher Nolan, and the masterclass the filmmaker was heading happened to be "Oppenheimer."

"And the crazy thing is they say when the student is ready, the Nolan will come," Downey explained to Lowe. "I mean, the teacher will come. And that's what happened."