Robert Downey Jr.’s performance as Tony Stark -- a.k.a. Iron Man -- is incredibly well-loved by fans. His character launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is often credited as the crowning jewel of the sprawling franchise. The actor appeared in ten MCU films between 2008 ended in 2019, when his stint ended with Avengers: Endgame. Since then, Marvel fans have mourned the loss of the actor’s character and miss seeing him in the films. Now, they're debating whether or not the Oppenheimer star deserved Oscar gold for his performance.
It goes without saying that the Iron Man star had some pivotal scenes in the MCU films over the years, especially during later installments, such as Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. A recent tweet from an MCU fan posed the question of whether the beloved actor should’ve received an Oscar nomination for any of his performances as the Armored Avenger. You can check out that message for yourself down below:
Was Robert Downey Jr’s performance as IRON MAN Oscar worthy? pic.twitter.com/4mVeMTmi7wJuly 31, 2023
Responses were mixed. Some argued that the actor's work alone launched a franchise and resulted in a lesser-known comic book character being launched to true prominence. One tweeter claimed those details alone should’ve been worthy enough of the little gold man, saying:
Definitely. He turned a C-List character in the face of Marvel.
Another fan argued that the role was actually more difficult than many moviegoers realize. This is due to the fact that the actor had to balance Tony Stark's charm with the seriousness and sense of urgency needed for the more dramatic moments. (It's true that Robert Downey Jr. is able to juggle both, seamlessly.) They tweeted:
Here is the one thing people don't say enough about this character and this performance. Tony Stark was definitely one of the hardest characters to find that pitch perfect performance for. Tony's personality, mannerisms, demeanor, charm, his unique turn of phrase, delivery and sense of humour, to find the perfect cocktail the way RDJ did, it doesn't get any better than that. He personified Tony Stark, the same way Margot Robbie personified Harley Quinn. Definitely should have won an Oscar. I don't think people understand how challenging this character is to play.
However, not everyone was on board with the belated awards endorsements for the superhero role. While one commentator could recognize that the Marvel icon's performance was strong, it just wasn’t worthy of the big award. That fan tweeted:
Had a few v strong scenes but not enough within one film for Oscar worthy
Another user seemed to indicate on Twitter that a number of people advocating for an Academy Award nomination may be too deeply entrenched in the superhero franchise. They said:
lol, no. Ya’ll watching too many Marvel movies.
It's worth mentioning that other actors have been recognized by the Academy for their roles in superhero-related far. Two actors earned their Oscars for playing variations of the Batman villain The Joker. Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix won their trophies for 2008’s The Dark Knight and 2019’s Joker, respectively. Additionally, Angela Bassett was nominated at the 2023 Oscars for playing Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. And though it lost, the first Black Panther movie also earned a Best Picture nod, while Logan was nominated for its screenplay in 2018.
Whether or not Robert Downey Jr. was deserving of Oscar gold for Iron Man is debatable. But ultimately the Academy opted not to recognize Downey throughout his Marvel run. While his Iron Man work may not have been deemed Academy Award-worthy, the actor has been nominated twice for the award. He was nominated in 1992 for Best Actor, thanks to his performance in Chaplin and received a Best Supporting Actor nod in 2009 for his role in the Ben Stiller-led comedy, Tropic Thunder. He's yet to take home the statue, but he could be back in the running this year due to his Oppenheimer performance, which is already generating buzz.
So while he may have been overlooked according to some fans, there's still hope for him to grab another as his career continues. All the while, fans are constantly theorizing how the Avengers actor could return to the MCU. If he does, another Stark performance could grab him a nod -- even if he never wanted Oscar recognition, for the role all that much.
You can see Robert Downey Jr.’s various outings as Tony Stark by streaming various MCU movies using a Disney+ subscription. Fans should also check out the actor's latest Oscar buzzy performance in Oppenheimer, which is now playing exclusively in theaters.
