It's been a long road to Avengers: Infinity War, not just for the fans of these superheroes, but also the actors who have been bringing them to life for as long as 10 years. It all started with Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and so it makes sense he would be the one to get a little emotional at the premiere of the newest MCU event. Before the first group of people saw the new movie, Robert Downey Jr, spoke to the assembled crowd about the road that brought him to this iconic role, where he is now, and what might be coming next. Downey said...
I want to talk about the past, present, and future. The past for me was 30 years of dependency, depravity, and despair .... otherwise known as 'An Actor Prepares!' The present is this moment of glory for all of us. And the future? That is always uncertain. But looking at these friends behind me, it seems like things might brighten up after all.
There's no secret about the life that Robert Downey Jr. lived prior to being cast as Tony Stark in the first Iron Man. In many ways, that life made him the perfect candidate for the role. From there, however, Robert Downey Jr. would go on to become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and the Marvel Cinematic Universe would achieve a life of its own. Dozens of other actors surrounded Downey on the stage as he gave his speech. He told the crowd (via Entertainment Weekly) that playing the role of a Marvel hero is a sure bet to becoming a huge star, but it's only worth it if you do something with it.
If you play a superhero in one of these movies, and it works, you become a big star! And it ... is ... meaningless. Unless, you use that to achieve something higher. You have to take direction from peers, and your family, and occasionally even an actual director.
While there are certainly many that would be critical of the superhero movie genre as being meaningless action, Robert Downey Jr. is clearly not one of those people. As he brought his speech to a close, he said superhero movies help us see the best possible future for our world, something we could achieve if we, like the heroes on screen, fight for it.
"[The movies] are inviting us to surrender and love and be of service. They are metaphors for how our world should be --- or could be one day, if we fight for it.
Avengers: Infinity War isn't quite the end of the road for this massive Marvel experiment, as we expect most or all of our heroes to be back next year for Avengers 4. Having said that, it has been one heck of a journey to this place and it was one worthy of celebration.
