Robert Downey Jr. Thanks Chris Nolan For Rescuing "Dwindling Credibility" After 12 Years Playing IRON MAN

Robert Downey Jr. Thanks Chris Nolan For Rescuing "Dwindling Credibility" After 12 Years Playing IRON MAN

Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. has picked up another award for work in Oppenheimer and, while thanking Christopher Nolan, many feel he took a shot at the time he spent playing the MCU's Tony Stark...

News
By JoshWilding - Feb 19, 2024 05:02 AM EST
Filed Under: Iron Man

The BAFTA Awards took place yesterday evening and, as the Oscars draw near, Robert Downey Jr. picked up another "Best Supporting Actor" win for his work in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer.

However, comments made during the actor's acceptance speech have rankled many MCU fans. 

"When I was 15, I wanted to be Peter O'Toole. When I was 25, I worked for Richard Attenborough and Anthony Hopkins. When I was 35, I finally understood why Dickie thought Tony would be a better role model for me than Peter," Downey said, reflecting on his career. "When I was 42, I did two films for Guy Ritchie and learned how to make big Hollywood movies with a civil British flare. I then played a guy named Tony in the MCU for about 12 years."

"And then recently, that dude Chris Nolan suggested I attempt an understated approach as a last-ditch effort to perhaps resurrect my dwindling credibility. So I share this with my fellow nominees, this has been an exceptional year," he concluded.

Many believe Downey is essentially saying the time he spent as Iron Man has damaged his credibility as an actor, something he has indeed alluded to on a few occasions while promoting Oppenheimer. 

If the Avengers: Endgame star has grown to resent his time as Tony Stark, it's a real shame. Either way, he's clearly ready to take his acting career down a very different route, possibly lessening the chances of any sort of MCU return during the next two Avengers movies.

Check out Downey's acceptance speech below along with a full list of winners from yesterday's BAFTA Awards. 

Best Film
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
(WINNER)
Poor Things

Outstanding British Film
All of Us Strangers
How to Have Sex
Napoleon
The Old Oak
Poor Things
Rye Lane
Saltburn
Scrapper
Wonka
The Zone of Interest
(WINNER)

Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer
Blue Bag Life – Lisa Selby (director), Rebecca Lloyd-Evans (director, producer), Alex Fry (producer)
Bobi Wine: The People’s President – Christopher Sharp (director) [also directed by Moses Bwayo]
Earth Mama – Savanah Leaf (writer, director, producer), Shirley O’Connor (producer), Medb Riordan (producer)
(WINNER)
How to Have Sex – Molly Manning Walker (writer, director)
Is There Anybody Out There? – Ella Glendining (director)

Best Film not in the English language
20 Days in Mariupol
Anatomy of a Fall
Past Lives
Society of the Snow
The Zone of Interest
(WINNER)

Best Documentary
20 Days in Mariupol
(WINNER)
American Symphony
Beyond Utopia
Still: A Michael J Fox Movie
Wham!

Best Animated Film
The Boy and the Heron
(WINNER)
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
Elemental
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best Director
Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers
Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall
Alexander Payne, The Holdovers
Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
(WINNER)
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest

Best Original Screenplay
Anatomy of a Fall
(WINNER)
Barbie
The Holdovers
Maestro
Past Lives

Best Adapted Screenplay
All of Us Strangers
American Fiction
(WINNER)
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Best Leading Actress
Fantasia Barrino, The Color Purple
Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
Vivian Oparah, Rye Lane
Margot Robbie, Barbie
Emma Stone, Poor Things
(WINNER)

Best Leading Actor
Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Barry Keoghan, Saltburn
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
(WINNER)
Teo Yoo, Past Lives

Best Supporting Actress
Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
Claire Foy, All of Us Strangers
Sandra Hüller, The Zone of Interest
Rosamund Pike, Saltburn
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
(WINNER)

Best Supporting Actor
Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr, Oppenheimer
(WINNER)
Jacob Elordi, Saltburn
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Paul Mescal, All of Us Strangers
Dominic Sessa, The Holdovers


Best Casting
All of Us Strangers
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
(WINNER)
How to Have Sex
Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Cinematography
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
(WINNER)
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Best Editing
Anatomy of a Fall
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
(WINNER)
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Best Costume Design
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
(WINNER)

Best Makeup and Hair
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
(WINNER)

Best Original Score
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
(WINNER)
Poor Things
Saltburn
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best Production Design
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
(WINNER)
The Zone of Interest

Best Sound
Ferrari
Maestro
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
The Zone of Interest
(WINNER)

Best Special Visual Effects
The Creator
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon
Poor Things
(WINNER)

Best British Short Animation
Crab Day (WINNER)
Visible Mending
Wild Summon

Best British Short Fiilm
Festival of Slaps
Gorka
Jellyfish and Lobster (WINNER)
Such a Lovely Day
Yellow

EE Rising Star Award
Phoebe Dynevor
Ayo Edebiri
Jacob Elordi
Mia McKenna-Bruce (WINNER)
Sophie Wilde

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1 2
Conquistador
Conquistador - 2/19/2024, 5:41 AM
I enjoyed Oppenheimer more on my second watch through. The 1st time i had quite a difficult time keeping up!

That score though! beautiful!
Conquistador
Conquistador - 2/19/2024, 5:43 AM
@UniqNo - Also, i don't see how RDJ is insulting the MCU there. It's turds like Dolittle that messed with his credibility.
Usernametaken
Usernametaken - 2/19/2024, 5:59 AM
@UniqNo - he's not insulting the MCU, but Endgame was 5 years ago now.

Since then it seems he didn't get the chance to play great roles, mostly because that's how showbiz works, they tend to offer you roles that are similar to the ones you already got.

I recently saw a video of Brian Cranston saying that after Malcolm in the middle, all the offers he got was to play another cookie dad. Until he got the chance to play Walter White.

For RDJ, Oppenheimer is the chance to turn the page on the last 17 years and start again in a new direction, he's thankful for that.
Usernametaken
Usernametaken - 2/19/2024, 6:02 AM
@UniqNo - Although I wouldn't feel sorry for RDJ. Even if his career ended with endgame, the dude has enough marvel money to last him for a dozen lifetimes.
Conquistador
Conquistador - 2/19/2024, 6:22 AM
@Usernametaken - Yeah, but he only mentioned 2 roles! He's done some other stuff in between his time as Stark. Don't get me wrong, i think it was more of a tongue in cheek remark and agree it's not an insult.

I would say though he was probably quite happy spending his marvel money that going out auditioning for new roles....He's past that probably and more waiting for people to call him for roles, which is maybe where that's coming from.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 2/19/2024, 7:27 AM
@Usernametaken - I feel like he was dry-wit, sarcastically poking fun at himself knowing how successful he's been consistently throughout his career (well, except for that whole rehab stint. happens to the best of us. no judgement at all here.

People are reading too much into his statement. Downey comes across very humble and appreciative in a lot of interviews he's done on podcasts.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 2/19/2024, 7:30 AM
@UniqNo - @Usernametaken

ya all ever think this could also be josh stirring up the pot to get us to see/look for something that isn't there just for more clicks, comments, and likes?
McMurdo
McMurdo - 2/19/2024, 11:32 PM
@Usernametaken - he's absolutely inferring his credibility took a hit and Nolan was necessary to get him out of that.
AC1
AC1 - 2/19/2024, 5:49 AM
I get where he's coming from to be fair. He played Tony Stark in like 10 movies over a period of around 12 years that were easily the most watched movies of his career and a character who was easily the most well known that he's played.

But that kind of success can be a double edged sword. You could see during that period of time he wasn't really getting many other roles, and a lot of the ones he was getting were very similar to what he was doing as Tony Stark anyway. And on top of that there seemed to be an expectation to a degree for him to kinda act like Tony outside of the movies too, like when he was promoting and doing interviews and stuff - how much of that is him putting his own personality into Tony, and how much is Tony bleeding back into him is debatable.

He was becoming pigeonholed, and that's an incredibly frustrating thing for an actor - especially when you factor in age as well. He couldn't go on playing Tony Stark forever, so to get to the end of his run on the character and for people to only view him as Tony Stark and kinda write him off as being unable to do anything different is reductive and dangerous. So it's pretty easy to see why he's so grateful Christopher Nolan cast him in such a different role, in such a big film.
Usernametaken
Usernametaken - 2/19/2024, 6:05 AM
The only thing missing in this speech is a nod to Shane Black and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, this is the movie that got him the chance to prove that he still has the talent and that he got his shit together.
Without Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, I doubt he would have had the chance to play Iron Man.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 2/19/2024, 7:34 AM
@Usernametaken - only thing else missing was to have Les Grossman present him the award
PartyKiller
PartyKiller - 2/19/2024, 6:16 AM
If RDJ said that during the Nolanite VS Marvelite War...it would have been the A-Bomb that ended the war in victory for the Nolanites.

RDJ!!!! The King of the MCU!!!! Putting Nolan above the MCU as Marvel movies and TV are crashing and burning.
newhire13
newhire13 - 2/19/2024, 9:52 AM
@PartyKiller - Funny too because in 08’ he was talking about how didn’t understand the Dark Knight and couldn’t tell you what happened in the movie lol
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 2/19/2024, 6:16 AM
I don't think he was insinuating that playing Tony Stark is what led to his dwindling credibility.

It put him back on the map again. People were even suggesting he win Best Supporting Actor for Civil War. And they were laughed at.
Conquistador
Conquistador - 2/19/2024, 6:24 AM
@ObserverIO - People quick to forget this was a Oscar nominated role right here! lol!

ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 2/19/2024, 7:14 AM
@UniqNo - Very quick to forget. Almost enthusiastically quick. RDJ is thankful that we are.
Conquistador
Conquistador - 2/19/2024, 7:23 AM
@ObserverIO - He's quite proud of that role as far as i'm aware and he also didn't bow to pressure to apologise for black face. In the context of the movie though i personally thought it worked really well!

lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 2/19/2024, 7:35 AM
@UniqNo - :D see my comment above
Conquistador
Conquistador - 2/19/2024, 7:46 AM
@lazlodaytona - Yeah, it's Wilding being a 2024 journalist.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 2/19/2024, 8:25 AM
@UniqNo - I remember really loving Tropic Thunder and I loved how meta it was that he was nominated. But I had completely forgotten/repressed this whole thing until you mentioned it.

Of course he was nominated for Chaplin also, but that was RDJ mark 1 (before being arrested for partying too hard).

People seemed to think that just because he was playing a superhero that he wasn't Oscar worthy and forgot that we're talking about a two-time oscar-nominated actor. A good performance is a good performance, imo, and the material he was given in Civil War was pretty meaty actually.
Conquistador
Conquistador - 2/19/2024, 8:34 AM
@ObserverIO - Oh yeah! out of all his Iron Man appearances, i agree that his Civil War arc (and the beginning and ending of Endgame) were really good stuff.
Superheromoviefan
Superheromoviefan - 2/19/2024, 6:47 AM
Oppenheimer
was mediocre as [frick] and rdj didnt deserve to win, ryan gosling so a lot better in barbie
MaxPaint
MaxPaint - 2/19/2024, 7:12 AM
@Superheromoviefan - No.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 2/19/2024, 7:39 AM
@Superheromoviefan - Charles Barkley was talking with Spike Lee over All-Star weekend and Spike lee was a guest. He told him Malcom X was such an amazing film it should have won multiple academy awards. He's like, that movie gets snubbed but people are up in arms about Barbie not winning anything (or being nominated, not sure which).

He hilariously has a point.
Splash
Splash - 2/19/2024, 7:15 AM
Seriously? This is Buzzfeed-level clickbaity. Come on.
Doomsday8888
Doomsday8888 - 2/19/2024, 7:23 AM
RDJ aka the face of the MCU thanks Nolan and Nolan thanked the MCU for keeping bizz alive, oroboro.
AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 2/19/2024, 11:20 AM
@Doomsday8888 -


Perfectly balanced as all things should be....🥲
Polaris
Polaris - 2/19/2024, 7:47 AM
This doesn't sound to me like resents the MCU at all, if anything he resents how his work as Tony Stark hasn't been appreciated enough by critics and the like because it is a superhero role. He recently said it was some of his best work. Also, there were people saying he had forgotten how to act and he only knew how to play Iron Man so I imagine at some point being known as just Tony Stark would get very tiresome. He did the Judge and then Dolittle and that didn't help with his "dwindling credibility". Nolan gave him a chance at something different, a way to reinvent his career once more, so obviously he's grateful.
TheOtherOn
TheOtherOn - 2/19/2024, 9:02 AM
Here's my take on "Tony Stark" character role...

He didn't need much of "acting" skills but rather "charisma" and delivery timing. To give an example about delivery timing, just take any successful stand up comedian. Majority don't know anything about acting but have tons of charisma and more importantly, delivery timing.

Tony Stark role had a lot to do with latter mentioned skills than former.
Izaizaiza
Izaizaiza - 2/19/2024, 9:15 AM
I need to sit down and watch Oppenheimer. Everything I've heard is that it's a by the numbers bore, but I guess I should check it out for myself.
SauronthePower
SauronthePower - 2/19/2024, 9:50 AM
@Izaizaiza - that’s an extremely bad take that you’ve been reading

EASILY one of the best cinematic products of the past 10 years. Easily.
bobevanz
bobevanz - 2/19/2024, 10:30 AM
@Izaizaiza - and watching it at home instead of on the biggest screen possible makes you a clown, you only had like 7 months lol
Kadara
Kadara - 2/19/2024, 12:02 PM
@Izaizaiza - It just screams just give us the Oscars without being entertaining whatsoever. It's on Prime now and I can't bother to rewatch it.
1 2

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