Robert Downey Jr. Says He's 'Surprisingly Open-Minded' About Returning as Iron Man Despite Character's Death

"It’s just crazily in my DNA," the Oscar winner told Jodie Foster of his iconic superhero role, in a chat for the 'Variety' Actors on Actors series

Marvel fans might not have seen the end of Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark.

The 59-year-old Oscar winner said in a chat with Jodie Foster for Variety's Actors on Actors series that he has "become surprisingly open-minded to the idea" of a return as Iron Man, despite the beloved character's heroic death in 2019's Avengers: Endgame.

"It’s just crazily in my DNA," Downey said. "Probably the most like-me character, strangely, I’ve ever played, even though he’s way cooler than I am."

Of himself and Foster, 61, the actor added, "Between Nyad and [True Detective: Night Country] and, for me, Oppenheimer and then Sympathizer, it really is crazy because we look pretty good."

"I was actually looking at the stills we were taking, making sure: 'Do we still look kind of okay?' I’m like, 'We look pretty good,' " Downey quipped.

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Related: Robert Downey Jr. Says His Acting 'Went a Little Bit Unnoticed' in Iron Man Movies 'Because of the Genre'

Downey starred in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first movie, 2008's Iron Man, and reprised the billionaire playboy/philanthropist/tech genius/superhero Tony Stark in nine more films, ending with the character's death in Avengers: Endgame.

Asked whether he'd return to the MCU as Tony/Iron Man — who, as fans know, sacrifices himself to save the world from supervillain Thanos (Josh Brolin) in Endgame — Downey said in a cover interview for the April/May issue of Esquire, "Happily."

"It’s too integral a part of my DNA. That role chose me," he added.

But according to the actor, it's all in Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige's hands.

"I always say, Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige," Downey said. "It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win."

Related: Robert Downey Jr. Has No Plans to Slow Down After Winning an Oscar: More ‘Tricks Up My Sleeve' (Exclusive)

In a January interview with W Magazine for its Best Performances issue, Downey said there have been only "three times" during his career "where I became completely obsessed with the prep and/or the possibility of playing a role" — one of those being Tony Stark.

Despite his appreciation for and dedication to the character, Feige, 51, said in December 2023 that Downey's Iron Man chapter is closed.

“We are going to keep that moment and not touch that moment again,” he told Vanity Fair when asked if Downey would return to the role in the MCU.

“We all worked very hard for many years to get to that, and we would never want to magically undo it in any way," Feige added.

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