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Robert Downey Jr. achieved global stardom after his role as Tony Stark in Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first film, Iron Man. His portrayal of the brilliant yet flawed billionaire superhero launched the MCU and redefined the superhero genre. Although Downey played several other roles before Iron Man, his success skyrocketed with Iron Man and made him a household name. True, Iron Man became a cornerstone of the MCU, all thanks to Downey, but off-camera, the actor had his own set of insecurities that were never reflected in his character.
In 2008, Downey played his first superhero role in Iron Man. However, before his Marvel career, the actor once shared that he was quite insecure about his portrayal of Tony Stark. Downey admitted with MTV, “I just wanna look good enough so that people don’t say, ‘Why is jelly belly playing a superhero?’”
Furthermore, Downey acknowledged that, unlike other Marvel superheroes, Iron Man lacks a traumatic past or defining elements that make him stand out. Instead, Tony Stark is just an ordinary man “in an extraordinary situation”, relying on his intellect and ingenuity rather than tragedy to shape his heroism.
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