Since 2008, Robert Downey Jr. was practically only associated with his Marvel role as Tony Stark or Iron Man. Many of his fans may not have known that the actor previously appeared as a versatile character actor. With the Iron Man ending in Avengers 4: Endgame, Downey Jr. a life after the MCU. Recently he fell into a real acting crisis and doubted his talent.
The star now has a supporting role as the real-life personality Lewis Strauss in the new Christopher Nolan blockbuster Oppenheimer. What Downey Jr. makes of the main character’s eventual antagonist likely makes him abruptly back to the top. Hopefully, the ex-Iron Man’s biggest career triumph is only just beginning.
Robert Downey Jr. shines in Oppenheimer with almost forgotten multifacetedness
In the plot of the film about the so-called father of the atomic bomb, Downey Jr. plays the chairman of the United States Atomic Energy Commission (USAEC), which specialized in research and development of nuclear weapons in the USA.
At the beginning of the film, the star still plays his character Lewis Strauss as calm, composed strategistswho explains his position in the story surrounding Oppenheimer’s atomic bomb project in court.
Even here, the fast-talking, constantly joking and appearing with pure narcissism Tony Stark is no longer recognizable for a second. Downey Jr. sheds the iconic role he’s played so many times for over 10 years in one moment.
This is not only due to the changed look with which his Lewis Strauss is presented based on the real model. Downey Jr. also plays Mimic and with his way of speaking consciously against his image to be tactical, energetic and dogged, without ever slipping into the usual overbearing Tony Stark mannerisms.
Watch Yves’ video review of Oppenheimer here:
Highly Recommended Oppenheimer Review
While he still appears as a supporting character among many other characters for the first two-thirds of the film, Downey Jr. finally reaches his peak form in Oppenheimer’s final hour.
When Strauss is revealed as a clear antagonist intent on using perfidious means to discredit and destroy the eponymous physicist, Downey Jr. transforms his character into a partially fuming, monster driven by personal hurt and jealousy.
In many reactions to Nolan’s new film, Downey Jr. is already mentioned as sure nominee for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor traded in the coming year. He certainly deserved the award for his performance in Oppenheimer, but it is much more important than that.
Oppenheimer pulls Robert Downey Jr. out of a dangerous career impasse
After the MCU, the star with The Fantastic Journey of Dr. Dolittle to build a new franchise as a producer and leading actor. The fantasy blockbuster turned into a personal disaster and flopped so hard at the box office that Downey Jr. immediately gave up the plan.
In a recent New York Times interview, the actor opened up about doubting his own acting talent after all those years in the Iron Man role. For Oppenheimer, he was specifically challenged:
I knew there was a point where Chris Nolan advocated, ‘Let’s work the other muscles, but let’s do it, while you have to renounce your usual way.‘
Oppenheimer is now putting on the kind of acting that would put Robert Downey Jr. back on top. The mentioned Oscar nomination for 2024 should be sure But that is only the beginning.
You can buy the Oppenheimer book here
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To the deal
In Oldboy director Park Chan-wook’s upcoming series The Sympathizer, Downey Jr. has four different roles as he aims to produce and possibly star in a remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece Vertigo.
Robert Downey Jr. couldn’t part with his Marvel connection for a long time. Oppenheimer is now proof that the versatile character actor still exists in him. Tony Stark is finally dead.
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