Robert Downey Jr Interview For Marvel’s ‘The Avengers’

Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in ‘Iron Man,‘ ‘The Incredible Hulk,‘ ‘Iron Man 2,’ ‘Thor,’ and ‘Captain America: The First Avenger,’ Marvel’s ‘The Avengers’ is the super hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel super heroes Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Directed by Joss Whedon, ‘The Avengers’ (‘Avengers Assemble’ in the UK) stars Chris Evans (Captain America/Steve Rogers), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye/Clint Barton), Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/Hulk), Robert Downey Jr (Iron Man/Tony Stark), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow), and Tom Hiddleston (Loki). Cobie Smulders, Clark Gregg, and Stellen Skarsgard co-star. ‘The Avengers’ is released in cinemas April 26th in the UK and May 4th in the US. Expect to see a more in-depth interview with Robert Downey Jr and the rest of the cast closer to the films release date.

What do you think pushes Tony Stark to finally join the Avengers team?

Robert Downey Jr: I think he’s curious. It’s hard for him to ingest what’s going on, so he wants to see it first hand. Although he’s still himself,  with the storytelling side of things, he’s searching. In ‘Iron Man 2′,’ with Rhody, he realised he’s not an island, and so there was a partnership, and the same can be said with Pepper. This time it’s very much about that group mind and that “we” is better than “I”. Tony Stark is open to all possibilities and has no problem accepting extraordinary happenings. Joining the Avengers team is an act of curiosity – he really wants to see what’s happening firsthand.

For me, ‘The Avengers’ does a great job in making this huge, ensemble, fantastical story grounded and plausable….

Robert Downey Jr: I think what made the original ‘Iron Man,’ the origin story, work so well was that it was plausible. This time, on ‘The Avengers,’ speaking of alternate realities, there’s a way that Tony can interact with the Avengers. Because he’s already had hints that this Nick Fury guy is clearly stringing him along about becoming part of a larger universe. Tony initially thinks it’s ridiculous, but being Tony Stark, he is more open to the realm of possibilities that exist in the world of ‘The Avengers.’ What everybody captured for their character was the right tone. At a certain point, and without killing it, you tip your hat. And we don’t take it too seriously. This is essentially a comic book movie, but I think you buy into the reality of it. Everyone has their moments, Joss Whedon did a great job of finding everyone’s frequency.

Marvel have picked some great directors to helm their movies, and for a lot of people, they’re not always the “obvious” choice?

Robert Downey Jr: Yeah. Joss is a tough guy, and he has generalship – which is what this required, you know? You think of Joe Johnston on ’Captain America: The First Avenger,’ I bet that guy really said, “Look, we’re mashing up genres, and I’m really going to marshal this thing through.” You think about Kenneth Branagh, for ’Thor,’ there’s no better person that Chris Hemsworth could have had with regards to tutelage and interaction. And then for me, Jon was a natural fit. I think, aside from casting, the thing that Marvel does best is they pick the right directors for their projects. It’s always an exciting announcement, but then it also has that extra thing of, “You know what, I wouldn’t have necessarily thought that, but retrospectively it makes perfect sense.”

I really enjoyed your Tony Stark/Iron Man opposite Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk. How was that?

Robert Downey Jr: I’d always felt that Mark was the guy to play Bruce Banner. I think because there’s something immensely introspective and affable about the guy, that makes that “curse” or that “opportunity” or that “karma” that he has, which is not of his doing, but is his responsibility to manage in some way. He’s just a really funny, quirky guy – but he’s a straight shooter. That’s probably the most important thing , you know? He was great to work with.