Downey told SFX Magazine that 2012's The Avengers will be Marvel Studios main event after four years of build up that started with Iron Man in 2008, and if they're going to do it then it had better be done right.
"It's the pinnacle, but only if it's done in the smartest and best and most creatively sound way possible," he said. "And I'm not saying we can't get there. I'm just saying it would be better to get there and not stay on schedule than to get everyone what they were hoping for in terms of a release date but not do it correctly. And by correctly, I mean my way," he laughed.
The actor went on to talk about Tony Stark's evolution as a character in the upcoming sequel, "In Iron Man 2, Tony's psyche undergoes quite a rupture because he no longer has that kind of was trade to tweak on. What's a fella to do? He's thinking more about his legacy and about sustaining his own corporeal being, which has always been a problem, and now obviously comes much more to the fore because he essentially has a nuclear reactor as part of his anatomy!"
"Stan Lee created (and of course I'm biased) his greatest character in Tony Stark," said the actor. "The number of offshoots in comics, TV, animation and now movies, and the people who have taken him from the '60s to the '70s, to the '80s and to the present day - everyone has done a great job of expanding the character and building on his inherent hostility through the guise of technology."
The darkness that burns within Tony is what has both driven the sequel and convinced the 44-year old actor to come back for the sequel. "There's a dark side to Tony Stark because of his impending death. But there are also all the people and characters around him who bring him to life."
"There's this huge world that's so much fun, and it's great to go back there, erase the chalkboard with Jon and say, 'Okay. This thing came out, people really liked it and it did great business, but what are we going to do now?'"
Iron Man 2 will be released later this year on April 30th in the UK and a week later in the US. For the full interview, be sure to check out this months issue of SFX Magazine!
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