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Turns out our very own Iron Man actor, Robert Downey Jr., had a moment of “screen envy.” And no, this wasn’t MCU drama—it was all about their shared history with the famous detective, outside the world of spandex and space stones.
The Marvel star once admitted he felt a twinge of jealousy watching Benedict Cumberbatch slip into the role of Sherlock Holmes. While most fans know Downey and Cumberbatch as two of Marvel’s brainiest heroes, Tony Stark and Doctor Strange, they’ve actually played the same legendary character on totally different turf.
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Downey brought Sherlock Holmes to life in Guy Ritchie’s punchy, action-packed films. Meanwhile, Cumberbatch gave the sleuth a modern-day twist in the BBC’s hit series Sherlock. Different accents, different aura, but the same name with the same brain.
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In a Reddit AMA (via Vanity Fair), Robert Downey Jr. came clean: “Very impressed with Benedict,” he wrote. “Such smart writing on that show. I have screen envy.” Looks like even superheroes aren’t immune to a little FOMO.
What made it worse (or better, depending on how you see it) was how Sherlock became a cultural phenomenon. Cumberbatch’s version was all brainy zingers, razor-sharp logic, and cheeky charm — a catnip for mystery lovers. The show’s clever scripts and addictive pacing made it a binge-worthy beast, and Downey noticed.
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But there’s no beef here. Back in 2014, the two actors even swapped Sherlock notes. Cumberbatch told Collider, “I sat down on the sofa with Robert Downey Jr. last night, and we had our first conversation and shared notes on playing Sherlock Holmes.” He added, “This is the most dramatized fictional character of all time, so there’s a lot to talk about.” A Holmes huddle, if you will.
Still, something is charming about Downey’s honesty. Hollywood egos often stay zipped up behind polished PR lines, but here’s one megastar openly tipping his hat and admitting a tiny pang of envy for another’s killer role.
It also shows just how invested both actors were in doing Sherlock justice. Downey’s version might’ve been brawnier and snarkier, with slow-mo fight scenes and explosions, but Cumberbatch’s Holmes leaned into the intellectual side. It was tech-savvy and dripping with deduction. Honestly, it’s fun seeing two actors play the same character in totally different lanes and still respect each other’s way.
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