Robert Downey, Jr. Wants to 'Suprise People' with Iron Man 2
Posted 04.11.10 by BrentJS
Actor Robert Downey Jr. is apparently not content unless he's shaking things up a bit. After years on the outs in Hollywood, one would think that he would play it safe after finally making a comeback in the incredibly successful superhero movie Iron Man.
However, Downey, Jr. followed up his portrayal of the super-cool superhero Tony Stark by wearing black face in Tropic Thunder, a potentially disastrous role that earned him an Oscar nomination. Then, Downey, Jr. gambled on fans embracing his drastically different portrayal of the "world's greatest detective" in Sherlock Holmes, and it paid off with huge box-office dividends. It's no wonder then that Downey, Jr. wouldn't be satisfied with simply doing a rehash of his Tony Stark performance in the highly anticipated sequel to Iron Man. He recently told STV that he wants to "surprise people" with Iron Man 2.
I'd always thought that we know Tony is a little nuts, so why don't we play with the expectations about the kind of stuff he does?
I want to surprise people. There are some characters you may have heard are against Tony — well, we try to flip those expectations.
Downey, Jr. went on to say that the success of the first movie went a long way towards assuring Marvel Studios that he and long-time friend and director Jon Favreau knew what they were doing, affording them the opportunity to take risks with characters and plot.
The best thing is that the first movie went well enough that there's not much second guessing my and Jon's instincts about what works, you know?
For no good enough reason, the folks at Marvel decided we were a very apt team with our far-out ideas of how to put a different spin on a superhero movie.
Speaking with The Independent, Downey, Jr. also hinted that
Stark himself might be different in the sequel by saying, "Last time we saw him as this hapless, charming prick," but he didn't say what side of Stark fans should expect in Iron Man 2. His love for the role of Tony Stark is apparent, but Downey, Jr. does have one complaint — the Iron Man suit of armor itself.
The suit was a little easier this time round although not enough for my taste. I was physically in the suit twice as much this time as last time. Despite being put under the impression that with the advances of CGI since I last wore the thing, it would be three or four days max in the suit, it turned out to be much, much more.
Ever-confident, Downey, Jr. said that he is not surprised to find himself portraying a billionaire superhero in a potentially billion-dollar movie franchise.
I imagined myself playing [a superhero] every year. They just never gave me the part.
Iron Man 2 was written by Justin Theroux and also stars Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, and Scarlett Johansson.
Next Showing: Iron Man 2 opens May 7