During an Q&A with Variety, Robert Downey Jr. discussed the perks and disadvantages of playing Iron Man, recalled urging Chris Evans to play Captain America, and praised Joss Whedon’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron script. “There was so much riding on (playing the part of) what essentially could be considered the squarest superhero in history,” said Downey of why he, too, urged the hesitent Evans to play Steve Rogers. “It was probably the most risky of the franchises we launched. I say ‘we,’ like I’m a company man, which I like to think I am. By the way, I’m a fan of his.” He continued, “I’m not kidding. I’m having 50 kids over and I’m screening Captain America 2 on my birthday, which happens to be the day it opens. I haven’t seen it. That’s one of the perks of being on the inside track at Marvel. I hope it’s not watermarked too heavily.”
When asked how many more Marvel Cinematic Universe ventures does he think there will be, Robert Downey Jr. said: “The smart money is you have to look at everybody’s age. I’ll put myself at the top of the list. Sooner or later, they’ve got to start over and get somebody young. I’m not there with them yet. It really is the closest thing to being a beloved contract player with a big old-timey studio that there is right now. When you really think about it at the end of the day, these films are entertainment largely driven by young folks. There is something very honorable about that. I run into kids wearing ‘Captain America' masks. My kid believes that Captain America is real." On the downside of playing a superhero, the actor said, “It’s kind of like having a really cool TV job. They are always hoping they don’t get picked up for another season; or they are wondering if they’re going to get picked up for another season; or they have done so many seasons, and they are already sick of doing the show, but the show is so big, it’s working well for them. Any of those three things is better than calling your agent and saying, ‘Hey, anything going on? It’s pilot season.’ ”
As for The Avengers sequel, Downey declared: “This one is a very ambitious sequel. If you read it, it’s dense, it’s smart. Joss [Whedon] is a really smart guy. My 2-year-old is crazy about Hawkeye, and I think Jeremy [Renner] has a lot to do with the plot. There’s always so many plates to spin to get these things half-right, and I’m really excited about this one.”
To read the interview in its entirety, make the jump over to Variety. What do you think?
The Avengers: Age of Ultron stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Cobie Smulders, Jeremy Renner, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, with Paul Bettany, Samuel L. Jackson, and James Spader. The film is set for release on May 1, 2015.
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