Robert Downey Jr. shared an intriguing opinion on his Iron Man role.

Robert Downey Jr. has been at the forefront of Hollywood for many years now. While much of his superstardom is due to his work as Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is safe to say that his work outside of the franchise has also gained him immense respect. Recently, he was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.

Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man in a still from The Avengers
While this is a significant achievement on his part, it is difficult to ignore how the actor has been snubbed of an Oscar on multiple occasions during his time as Tony Stark. Despite giving some of the greatest performances of his career as the character, creating so much depth and personality for him, Downey Jr. has not even gotten so much as a nomination. Downey Jr. actually spoke about this, revealing his thoughts on that matter and his opinion might shock many.

Robert Downey Jr. Opines on his Hollywood Career

It is quite a common phenomenon in Hollywood for the superhero genre to not be taken seriously when it comes to acclaim. Many only see the visual effects and action, ignoring the characters, their personality, and the actors who shape them. The writing is overlooked and the cinematography is ridiculed.

Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man (2008)
This bias has led to many films, that can be considered masterpieces, to get looked over when Academy nominations are being picked. Robert Downey Jr. spoke on exactly this when giving an interview on the podcast, Literally with Rob Lowe.

“I felt so exposed after being in the cocoon of Marvel, where I believe I did some of the best work I will ever do, but it went a little bit unnoticed because of the genre,” explained the actor.
The actor revealed that he believes his eleven years as Iron Man to be some of the strongest performances of his life. Unfortunately, even though many would agree with him on this sentiment, the Oscars failed to give him recognition.

Robert Downey Jr. Did Not Want an Oscar Nomination

Robert Downey Jr. also spoke on the subject with Howard Stern, revealing that conversation around the Academy and campaigning for the Oscars was also brought up around the release of Avengers: Endgame. The actor revealed that in this specific instance, he was the one who told Marvel Studios to not go for it. His reasoning for it was quite interesting.

Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man in a still from Avengers: Endgame

“I’m so glad you brought this up because there was some talk about [an Oscar campaign for his work]. And I said, ‘Let’s not.”‘ He went on, “Doing (the MCU films) was their own reward,” Downey Jr. emphasized. “I don’t know if it’s time or if I am the guy… to have the Academy recognize.”
Downey Jr. believed that making the project on its own was achievement enough. He did not think that the film needed validation from the Oscars and thought that if their movie did win, it would have felt very odd. He would have felt very weird had he become an Oscar winner. This is quite ironic considering how Downey Jr. has been nominated for an Oscar for his work in Oppenheimer.