Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. have each been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the very beginning. And now that Favreau’s frequent collaborator has seemingly dropped out of the superhero saga once and for all, the Iron Man director argues that Downey deserves some Academy recognition for his work in the franchise.
Speaking to Variety, Favreau discussed the recent Oscar buzz surrounding the Iron Man actor, saying that he believes the hype around Downey’s Avengers: Endgame performance is warranted:
“He has my vote for sure. I think he was able to discover and explore dimensions of the character over the course of many, many films, which is a bit of its own category. But I have to say that if you look at, especially how it began and how it ended in his performances between the first one and ‘Endgame,’ there was a really thoughtful arc to the character, both in his performance and how all the filmmakers contributed to that character.”
Having worked with Downey on several projects, Favreau explained that it was a pleasure to see the star immerse himself in his character:
“I’m glad I got to be a part of it and be there for those meaningful scenes as an actor, but also to be there as a friend, and to watch him explore things deeply through a character [when] you don’t normally have that opportunity. And he took full advantage of it.”
While the executive producer of seven Marvel movies is no one’s idea of an impartial source, Favreau is far from the only filmgoer who’s showed his support for Downey landing an Oscar nod. Shortly after the release of Endgame, social media flooded with messages from fans arguing that the original MCU star has earned some awards recognition. Meanwhile, co-director Joe Russo went as far as to say that Downey deserves an Oscar “perhaps more than anyone in the last 40 years.”
That being said, an Oscar nod still seems like a long shot, especially given the Academy’s tendency to overlook the superhero genre in the acting categories. Even Black Panther – which received seven nominations, including Best Picture – saw none of its cast members recognized at this year’s ceremony.
Regardless, these are still early days, and it’ll be interesting to see if Downey’s Avengers: Endgame performance can maintain its buzz throughout the year. As for Favreau, you can see him return to the MCU when Spider-Man: Far From Home hits theaters on July 2nd.
