Robert Downey Jr. spotted at downtown Minneapolis Target

We've got another Marvel star sighting in Minnesota.

Robert Downey Jr., whose take on the comic book behemoth's Iron Man character launched the superhero movie genre into ubiquity, was spotted on Tuesday afternoon at the Nicollet Mall Target store to promote his Happy coffee brand, which the retailer sells.

Target spokesman Brian Harper-Tibaldo said Downey stopped by the retailer's downtown headquarters to visit with staff ahead of the store visit.

Brendan Leahy, who works for the Starbucks outpost at the downtown Target, said there were a few dozen folks clustered around the second-floor entrance to the store. Downey posed next to a display for the brand's coffee.

Celebrity stylist Davy Newkirk also posted a video of Downey at the store on Instagram. A few other folks posted photos of Downey — who won his first Academy Award this year for his portrayal of U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Member Lewis Strauss in "Oppenheimer" — on social media.

Leahy's manager told employees that the "Avengers" actor would make an appearance in the store with only a few hours' notice, though they didn't have a chance to approach Downey.

"I didn't see him directly but I saw him from a distance," Leahy said.

A security guard for the downtown Target store who declined to be named said Downey arrived at the store at noon and hung around for about 15 minutes signing merchandise. It's the second time this year a Marvel star has made an appearance in Minnesota: Actor Hugh Jackman visited an indoor golf course in Rochester in February.

Star Tribune staff writers Zoë Jackson and Erin Adler contributed to this story.