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Before Iron Man launched a billion-dollar universe, Robert Downey Jr. watched another superhero swing into the spotlight. That hero was none other than Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man. It turns out that it wasn’t just fans who were hooked; even our beloved Iron Man actor was paying close attention.
The 60-year-old actor, known for redefining the superhero genre with his portrayal of Tony Stark, revealed a surprising source of motivation. During a 2024 interview, Downey said it was Spider-Man (to be more specific, Maguire and director Sam Raimi’s take on it) that gave him a fresh perspective on superhero films.
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“In real-time, I saw how difficult they were,” Downey Jr. said while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, reflecting on early comic book adaptations. “I saw how rewarding they could be, and how popular they were becoming.” That realization didn’t come at a casual moment in his life either. Downey’s personal and professional life was walking a tightrope at the time. But the buzz around Maguire’s Spider-Man showed him what could be possible.
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Before Iron Man even landed on his radar, Robert Downey Jr. had already started preparing without knowing it. He recalled (via Comic Book Movie), “I had been clean long enough… hungry even longer, and I could feel [the] obsession coming back with manifesting the best version of myself.”
He didn’t stop there. Downey revealed that his physical prep started long before any Marvel contract showed up. “I had strangely been furiously strength training six times a week before I even knew [this role] was coming,” the Oppenheimer star said. “And my shrink had told me, ‘Just start acting like something great is gonna happen and get ready for it.’”
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Of course, everything changed once Downey slipped into the red and gold suit in 2008. Iron Man didn’t just reboot his career—it laid the foundation for what would become the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Downey continued to lead the charge for over a decade. His final appearance as Tony Stark came in Avengers: Endgame (2019), when the billionaire genius made the ultimate sacrifice.
But Downey’s Marvel story might not be done just yet. Word on the street is he’s about to return, but not as the hero. Multiple reports suggest he’s been tapped to play Doctor Doom in upcoming Marvel projects. While his name hasn’t officially been confirmed for 2025’s Fantastic Four, the rumor mill is working overtime.
Fans will likely see his full Doctor Doom arc unfold in Avengers: Doomsday, slated for 2026. If true, this marks a major pivot from the MCU’s savior to one of its biggest threats. So yes, Tobey Maguire helped inspire Robert Downey Jr. to become Iron Man. And now? Iron Man might just come back as Marvel’s next big bad. One hero sparked the fire. Another took the torch. And the legacy is still going strong.
For more such stories, check out Hollywood
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