What next for Robert Downey Jr.?

The toughest of climbs is taken by those who have seen the greatest of falls. This adage cannot be truer for anyone in Hollywood than for Robert Downey Jr. The actor who has brought Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes on the big screen with added style and zeal, stands today at the zenith of his acting career till date. But not many would know, that twenty years back, a 27 year old Robert Downey Jr. had been mentioned in the same breath as veterans like Al Pacino and Clint Eastwood, when he had been nominated for an Oscar in the Best Actor category for his portrayal of Charlie Chaplin in 1992's Chaplin. Much had been expected from Downey Jr. then, a successful career path awaited him, all he had to do was grab it and make it his. But what did he do? He got hold of something else, altogether. Cocaine, heroin, marijuana, Robert Downey Jr. spent much of his time embroiled with drugs, repeatedly caught and sentenced by the authorities, sent to rehab centres to mend his ways, but all in vain. He was fired from movie sets, from television roles, even the one where he had earned an Emmy Nomination, Ally McBeal. Things were bleak for Downey Jr. and what was needed for him to resurface was nothing short of the strengths Iron Man had to discover in his latest movie, a willingness to fight back. 

In early 2000's, Robert Downey Jr. started successfully battling his substance problems, getting back 'in the game' in the movie business, earning roles here and there, which largely got him positive reviews. Then in 2007 came the offer to play a relatively lesser known superhero, Iron Man. And there began a sustained rise to the very top in Hollywood, with the success of Iron Man followed by Tropic Thunder and Sherlock Holmes and the sequels. Robert Downey Jr. was finally receiving the plaudits his work deserved, though no one could be blamed for their absence in the past apart from Downey Jr. himself. So with Iron Man 3 released successfully in international markets, earning $195 million for the weekend in 42 markets, which is about $10 million higher than the first weekend earnings of The Avengers though it had been released in three lesser markets, and a smashing US release expected this weekend, the question that remains is: What next for Robert Downey Jr.? 

Will Robert Downey Jr. wear the Iron Man armour again? No one really knows the answer to this as his contract with the studio to play the superhero ends with Iron Man 3. Downey Jr. has never declined reprising this role again, but his answers have been hesitant and vague. The ending scenes of Iron Man 3 did allow Tony Stark to choose to retire but also reiterated the line uttered by Stark 'I am Iron Man'. Further, the post-credit scene closed with the words 'Tony Stark to return' which makes it obvious that Stark would make at least one more appearance, in The Avengers 2 most likely. While Tony Stark could be recast if the agenda is to lower the multi-million bucks being paid to Robert Downey Jr., this would be a real hard decision to take as Downey Jr. has not kept a foot wrong when wearing that red-gold suit. Joss Whedon, in a recent interview with Desde Hollywood, has further teased on this topic saying, "I want him to play it forever.... At the same time, if Robert decides to hang it up, he has a perfectly good excuse." So in short, no one really knows or is willing to spill the beans. My feeling is that Downey Jr. would return in The Avengers 2 but the future beyond that could be bleak with many new Marvel characters expected to be lined up for Phase 3. 

So what is there beyond the suit? Robert Downey Jr. has kept his plate relatively clean. His next feature film would be a drama titled The Judge set for a 2014 release, which is also being co-produced by his production house. He would be playing a lawyer who returns to his hometown for his mother's funeral only to find his father, the town's judge, as a suspect.  That's real drama! Apart from this, there is no other committed feature film to really talk about. Downey Jr. has been associated with the making of Pinocchio, which had Tim Burton associated with it and now surprisingly Ben Stiller (as director, mind you!), but this one is right now going through script rewrites. The production company of Downey Jr. has also been associated with a heist film called Yucatan but again, there is nothing much there to be worthy of a discussion. So for now it seems Robert Downey Jr. is truly content to reap the rewards from Iron Man 3 before he really decides to fill up his calendar dates again. Soon the rumours regarding his future reprisal of Iron Man should also get sorted out. But till then, raise a toast to an actor who once forgot his path only to find it again, and who made this second chance count!