Robert Downey Jr reflects on Marvel's success and how he relates to Tony Stark or Iron Man

Robert Downey Jr. played Tony Stark / Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for around 11 years and earned immense appreciation from the audience. The character went from an arrogant rich playboy to a family guy who sacrifices himself to saves the universe. Now, RDJ who has also faced ups and downs in life, claims that he relates to Iron Man.

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Robert Downey Jr explains why Marvel is successful 

In a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Robert Downey Jr described how Marvel’s Iron Man helped with the resurgence of his career, following a dark period in his life. He said that he believed to be in a “very forgiving industry,” despite current feedback. The actor admitted that he was “really fortunate” that he was from the pre-internet boom era because of his misbehavior. But he thinks he had a bit of moral psychology and always wanted to do the right thing.

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RDJ stated that he hates to say it but it is a “very American thing” to build up and break down and come back. He noted that in its own “weird way,” it is the hero’s journey. The actor mentioned that he could relate to Tony Stark “a lot” by the time he played him. He explained that he was a guy who needed to really be handed a “dose of ouch,” referring to the hardship he faced to became the legend.

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Robert Downey Jr. said that the greatest joy was being able to experience the MCU by playing the character. Talking about the studios’ success, he stated that it was all there in the universe, to begin with. He thinks it is why the Marvel comics have been “so numinous” to kids, grownups, and people in general. The actor mentioned that there is this love for the MCU because it speaks to the world, but it also speaks to the democratic American projected dream, which is "far more complicated" than the movies. He asserted that there's an idea for people who have always been trying to express their selves, and strangely, in some ways, the best of it has been expressed in these little two-hour segments of the entertainment. RDJ admitted that Star Wars laid the foundation, but Marvel’s films stretch longer over the decade.

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