Robert Downey Jr. may be a newly-minted Oscar winner, but that won’t stop him from donning the Iron Man suit if the chance ever arises. Speaking to Esquire, the actor expressed a keen interest to reprise the role after the superhero’s last appearance in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.
“Happily. It’s too integral a part of my DNA. That role chose me,” he said. “And look, I always say, never, ever bet against Kevin Feige. It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.”
This doesn’t confirm his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), however, especially with studio head Feige ruling out plans to bring Iron Man back following his death in the film. Downey portrayed Tony Stark for 11 years, serving as a member of the original Avengers team alongside Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, and Jeremy Renner.
The star has been open about the significance of playing Iron Man. Earlier in January, he went on Rob Lowe’s “Literally!” podcast and shared about how he felt some of his best work came from playing Iron Man, but the performances “went a little bit unnoticed” as the movies were part of superhero genre.
Downey is currently enjoying major popularity following his stint on Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. The industry veteran’s next project will mark his return to the small screen, as he assumes multiple roles in Max’s The Sympathizer. Based on the 2016 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen, the seven-episode miniseries is set to air on HBO’s streamer starting 14 April.