Robert Downey Jr wanted Iron Man to be the main character in 2012’s The Avengers.

It’s been five years since fans saw Robert Downey Jr play Iron Man after the character’s tragic ending in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, but more than his sacrifice was the satisfaction of being the one to close that chapter of the MCU – the one that Iron Man also helped jumpstart with.

Marvel Studios’ The Avengers (2012)

It’s not difficult to see that Iron Man has become the center of The Avengers movies, even more so with the first three phases of the MCU. Downey Jr may have had a hand in this.

Robert Downey Jr Wanted Iron Man To Lead 2012’s The Avengers

During his interview with Entertainment Weekly, Oscar-winning actor Robert Downey Jr revealed he suggested to Joss Whedon to make Iron Man the central figure of The Avengers film. “Well, I said, ‘I need to be in the opening sequence. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but Tony needs to drive this thing.’ He was like, ‘Okay, let’s try that.’ We tried it and it didn’t work, because this is a different sort of thing, the story and the idea and the theme is the theme, and everybody is just an arm of the octopus. But what was I like? As usual, just f—king aggressive and hurtful; whatever. The usual.”

The OG Avengers team comprised six important figures: Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye. In the movie, even though Iron Man seemed to be the face of the group, each of them contributed so much that they became memorable to the fans.

Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and Chris Evans as Captain America in The Avengers

When asked if he would like to reprise his role in future Marvel movies, Downey told Esquire: “Happily. It’s too integral a part of my DNA. That role chose me. And look, I always say, never, ever bet against Kevin Feige. It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.”

Many fans hope to see Iron Man again, but Kevin Feige has previously stated that they won’t reverse the character’s death as it represents years of hard work.

Robert Downey Jr On Playing Iron Man For 11 Years

Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in Iron Man

Meanwhile, in a conversation with the New York Times, Downey Jr seems to feel that he has been somewhat trapped in the role of Iron Man. “You start to wonder if a muscle you have hasn’t atrophied,” he says. Superhero movies have dominated the box office in recent years, and it also redefined the meaning of cinema. “I did not have the luxury of wondering what the longer-term repercussions of coming in as a second-tier superhero for something that was going to build out into a cinematic universe would be.”

The 59-year-old actor said that after he graduated from playing a superhero to starring in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, he feels quite happy and has “regained my connection with a more purist approach to making movies.”

Iron Man certainly changed Downey Jr’s life and career, not to mention it helped him find his footing in the industry again after his court-ordered drug treatment program. The actor has been sober since 2003.

The Avengers is available to watch on Disney+.