A Beloved Marvel Star Is Taking His Career In An Exciting New Direction

Since launching in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown beyond anyone's expectations. At the time of this writing, it boasts almost 30 big screen entries, has recently become a staple of Disney+ with such projects as "WandaVision" and "Moon Knight," and is now a fixture at Disney theme parks. The famed source material the franchise stems from did much of the legwork, as did the numerous behind-the-scenes creative forces that have guided it along. Of course, the MCU's unmatched roster of skilled actors deserves a good amount of credit as well.

Over the years, the MCU has amassed arguably the most star-studded cast in the history of media. From Hollywood icons like Sylvester Stallone and Samuel L. Jackson to rising stars such as Florence Pugh and Will Poulter, the series continues to showcase the very best the acting world has to offer. At the same time, given the massive popularity and name value behind the MCU, it's also an excellent means of raising one's stock as an entertainer, offering talent the opportunity to do what they do best under one of the biggest spotlights possible and help them springboard into other projects.

Though he was very much an established, experienced star long before suiting up in the MCU, this longtime Marvel actor has signed on to a production that will allow him to work some very different entertainment muscles.

As the lead of the first-ever Marvel Cinematic Universe installment, "Iron Man," Robert Downey Jr. became a crucial piece of the Infinity Saga puzzle. For 11 years, he evolved in the role of Tony Stark, stealing the show no matter which franchise he found himself in and keeping moviegoers engaged with ease. RDJ's tenure as the character ultimately concluded in 2019's "Avengers: Endgame," and though he easily could've ended his career right then and there, he's done quite the opposite. Case in point: his upcoming collaboration with Discovery+.

The Hollywood Reporter revealed on May 17, 2022, that Robert Downey Jr. will lead his own unscripted reality TV series on the streamer. Titled "Downey's Dream Cars," the show will see the "Sherlock Holmes" star and his team of mechanics return classic automobiles to their former glory while also putting together more environmentally-friendly ones. "My goal is to showcase that it's possible to keep the integrity of classic cars while leveraging new tech and innovation to make them more eco-friendly," RDJ said in a statement, voicing his excitement for the series to release.

At the time of this writing, "Downey's Dream Cars" lacks a concrete release date, though it's currently expected that the show will arrive in late 2022.