Iron Man Downey aces test of mettle

Iron Man Downey aces test of mettle

Marvel

Robert Downey Jr., in his role as Tony Stark of “Iron Man,” paved the way for Marvel’s “The Avengers.”

Robert Downey Jr. knows how to make an entrance.

Less than 24 hours before his interview with The News, the New York-born actor stole the show at the Hollywood premiere of The Avengers by driving a replica of the films futuristic concept car onto the red carpet.

A day later, Downey is more subdued as he wraps up a photo shoot with Avengers teammates Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and Jeremy Renner in the ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. Still, the seat he slides into when its time to talk is an ornate, thronelike one a comfortable choice for him, and a good metaphor for a reporter.

I dont always have to be on, the 47-year-old actor says when asked about his red-carpet stunt. I only have to be on when its time to be on.

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With The Avengers opening Friday, the Iron Man star who helped jump-start Marvel Studios grand plan to combine superhero franchises has earned his lofty perch.

The studio did take a chance when it tapped Downey whose career had not yet recovered from a string of substance-abuse problems that led to jail time in the 90s to carry its first major attempt at movie-making.

It was a bet that paid off.

One of the many amazing things about Robert Downey Jr. is the fact that once youve seen him in a role, you cant possibly imagine anyone else in that role, says Stan Lee, who co-created Iron Man with artist Jack Kirby in 1962.

Thanks to that role, in the first of a series of superhero films for Marvel, Downey is now an improbable action star with two franchises (he plays the titular detective in the Sherlock Holmes series) to his name.

With years of these roles under his belt, Downey has not only restored his reputation but earned an entire generation of fans who werent around for his darker days.

Everyone loves a comeback and everyone loves an underdog, but Im sure there are a lot of younger people who dont even know his history, says Leonard Maltin, movie historian and critic for Entertainment Tonight.

Remember, too, he followed up Iron Man with that outrageous performance in Tropic Thunder. Hes always been talented, but nowadays it just seems he is going from strength to strength, says Maltin.

Downey manages to make his Iron Man character, Tony Stark, an unlikely charmer.

Stark wasnt supposed to be an easy sell to audiences: Hes a womanizing billionaire with an ego the size of his private jet and a fortune made by selling high-tech weapons. In contrast, while Chris Evans Captain America is a patriotic, selfless do-gooder, Stark is the hero who showboats, blasting around to a soundtrack of AC/DC.