15 years after the release of Marvel Studios’ Iron Man, it’s even harder to believe that hiring Robert Downey Jr. to play Tony Stark was something so hotly contested. What was seen as a gamble paid off, as Downey and director/co-star Jon Favreau turned out a box office giant that set the tone for the movie industry at large. That tipping point is something that the MCU’s first marketable lead recently reflected on, plucking out the moment the movie’s success was readily apparent, as well as how it changed everything.
The Moment Robert Downey Jr. And Jon Favreau Knew Iron Man Was A Hit
In a profile with the The New York Times, the Oppenheimer star reflected on those early days when he defied the odds to help deliver Marvel Studios its then crowning achievement. Overcoming the early pushback to casting him as Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr. scored a personal win with the comic adaptation’s success. Revealing the moment where Iron Man’s success was unavoidably apparent, the actor also mentioned the tipping point of what would come next:
About two weeks after me and Jon were pumping fists at Giorgio Baldi, in the private room, and the numbers kept getting bigger for the first weekend of the first Iron Man. It was gung-ho, masters of the universe until I went to bed on night 13. I must have processed out all of the projection that had been on those external markers of what I should feel great about. I went into a k-hole.
A “k-hole” is, in short, a state of mental dissociation while on the ketamine drug that can be quite euphoric. In the case of Downey's experience with early MCU success, the metaphorical drug in this example was intense career redeeming results that put him on the map again. While it was a great time of redemption for Robert Downey Jr., it also prompted another personal eureka moment for the once again “bankable” actor.
What Happened Next After Iron Man’s Mythic Success
With the Marvel Studios camp flying high and making history, Downey was sitting pretty in Hollywood. He'd even score another hit that summer with one of the best non-MCU Robert Downey Jr. movies, Tropic Thunder. But kind of like how Tony Stark eventually turned his thoughts inward, questioning what was next in his own life, Downey pondered the road ahead in a very important way:
That drive that had been built up by being the kid on the other side of the fence — there was no longer a purpose for that. The water broke on what had seemingly been this unrequited thing. But what was requited? You realize you still have grief about a, b or c, or a not particularly irrational fear that d, e or f could happen. These external goals — there’s only so much space on the hard drive to function, and it was all geared toward getting this thing, and then when you meet it, it just goes, OK, big shot, can we get back to the process of unpacking a lifetime of experiences, fears, hopes, desires?
Success had found its way back to Robert Downey Jr., and in its wake he refocused on the “unpacking” of his personal state. Making it big again meant that the former Brat Pack-er didn't need to be as hungry, as he'd arrived yet again. That sort of mindfulness not only helped him make his way through the entire first era in Marvel Cinematic Universe storytelling, it also led him back to movies like Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.
Making himself a bigger star through the Iron Man movies helped Downey professionally, without question. But arguably the greater feat that came from this victory is the fact that his second bite at the apple of fame also helped him continue to work on his personal wellness.
All of the box office raves in the world couldn’t block that thought from his mind, making Robert Downey Jr.’s story all the more exciting to cheer on. It’s an arc those with a Disney+ subscription can relive thanks of his Marvel projects being available to stream on that platform. Meanwhile, audiences can next see Downey in the cast of Oppenheimer, which is set to open on July 21st.
