Robert Downey Jr. Says His Acting 'Went a Little Bit Unnoticed' in “Iron Man” Movies 'Because of the Genre'

"I think I did some of the best work I will ever do," Downey Jr. said of his time as Tony Stark in the MCU

Robert Downey Jr. is proud of his performance as Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The Oppenheimer actor recently chatted with Rob Lowe for Thursday's episode of the latter's Literally! podcast, where he opened up about feeling like his badly reviewed 2020 film Dolittle "just didn't work," especially after his time in the MCU.

"I felt so exposed after being in the cocoon of Marvel where I think I did some of the best work I will ever do, but it went a little bit unnoticed because of the genre," said Downey Jr., 58.

He went on to say he "did myself a favor, because the rug was pulled so definitively out from underneath me and all the things that I was leaning on as opposed to what my understanding of confidence and security was, boy did they evaporate. And it rendered me teachable."

"And the crazy thing is they say when the student is ready, the [Christopher] Nolan will come," he added of his Oppenheimer director, 53. "I mean, the teacher will come. And that's what happened."

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Related: Jon Favreau Reveals Robert Downey Jr. Was in Talks for Another Marvel Character Before Iron Man

Downey Jr. has been open about his love for the time he played Tony Stark/Iron Man, beginning with 2008's MCU genesis Iron Man and ending with 2019's Avengers: Endgame.

In a recent interview with W Magazine for its Best Performances issue, the actor said there have been only "three times" during his career "where I became completely obsessed with the prep and/or the possibility of playing a role" — one of those three being Tony Stark.

Despite his appreciation for and dedication to the character, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said last month that Downey Jr.'s chapter as Iron Man is remaining closed.

“We are going to keep that moment and not touch that moment again,” Feige, 50, told Vanity Fair when asked if Downey Jr. would return to the role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“We all worked very hard for many years to get to that, and we would never want to magically undo it in any way," he added.

Related: Gwyneth Paltrow Jokes About Why She Hasn't Rejoined the MCU After 'Avengers: Endgame': 'Iron Man Died!'

Downey Jr.'s acting talents have certainly gained him notable recognition as of late — like on Sunday, when he nabbed the supporting movie actor trophy at the 2024 Golden Globes, for his role as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer.

After opening his speech by joking that he'd taken a "beta blocker, so this is gonna be a breeze," Downey Jr. praised his Oppenheimer colleagues and said his win is "a most-improved-player thing."

The actor also shouted out his "primary caregiver," wife Susan Downey, whom he said has "literally made an art out of extracting me from my comfort zone. ... But she's easy on the eyes, so whatevs."

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