Robert Downey Jr. says Iron Man was some of the best acting of his career but it went ‘unnoticed’

Robert Downey Jr. has reflected on his post-Marvel career and insisted he did some of his best work as Iron Man.

If there is ever going to be an Iron Man remake, (let’s be real, there probably is one planned down the line), whoever plays the charismatic Tony Stark will have big shoes to fill.

For millions of fans across the globe, Robert Downey Jr.’s enthralling portrayal of the billionaire, playboy philanthropist was what made the Marvel Cinematic Universe work so well.

Speaking on actor Rob Lowe’s Literally! podcast, Downey Jr. said the superhero genre was part of the reason some of his acting performance went under-appreciated.

After Downey Jr.’s phone rang during the podcast Lowe joked it was Marvel trying to get him to come back for the role.

“Is that some Marvel s**t? Are you going to break some stories here?" Lowe joked.

To which Downey Jr. replied: "Not just yet."

"You know what I say. That phone is going to ring, baby, and I want to be on that call. I want to be negotiating for you," Lowe continued.

“I know what your deal is. Here’s what you do. You go, ‘I’ll come back and I’ll play Tony Stark for you guys again since you f****d everything up. But I want a gazillion dollars. I know what that number should be, and I want first dollar gross of every ensuing movie. That’s what I would do.”

Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AFI

After Downey Jr. laughed and said that sounded 'quite hostile', he reflected on his time with the superhero juggernaut.

“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,” he said.

“[I] did myself a favor, because 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. And it rendered me teachable.”

As the genre has faced significant criticism as fans complain of superhero fatigue, not just in Marvel, it is clear where Downey Jr. is coming from.

Paramount Pictures

In 2019, award-winning director Martin Scorsese caused an uproar after saying that he doesn’t believe superhero films are cinema and are more akin to theme park rides than movies.

Regardless where you stand on the debate, Downey Jr. is likely going to continue impressing with his acting performances as he recently won Golden Globe for best supporting actor for his portrayal Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer.

Chances are he will also be in the Oscars' nominations too.