Robert Downey Jr. may no longer be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but his time as Tony Stark/Iron Man will probably go down as one of his most iconic performances. His employer, Marvel Studios, loved it as it ushered in an era of unprecedented success, and so did the fans. However, he views a different - and more recent - production as the height of his career.
Despite the success and fan love that came with playing Iron Man for over a decade, Downey does not think any of the films he starred in as the character is the best movie of his career. No! That honor belongs to the Christopher Nolan biopic Oppenheimer.
Downey made this claim on Thursday, during the UK premiere of Oppenheimer. During an interview on the red carpet, he stated, "Just going to flat out say it: This is the best film I've ever been in and I cannot wait for you all to experience it."
We would have been tempted to dismiss this as marketing speak but then Downey made other comments that make us inclined to believe him. During an interview with IndieWire, the Avengers actor said that he didn't join Oppenheimer's cast for the money but for the challenge of playing Lewis Strauss, one of the antagonists.
He stated, "Were you ever doing it for the money once your baseline needs were met? Probably not. Did you think it was about money and prestige? Probably from the time I was a teenager until that illusion dissolved in front of me, leaving me in a depressive state."