While Robert Downey Jr. has starred in plenty of movies and TV shows over the past five decades (his first film appearance dates all the way back to 1970), it’s safe to say that playing Tony Stark/Iron Man will stand as the most iconic role of his career. Given the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s popularity, this seems like a bit of a no-brainer statement, but as it turns out, Downey Jr. has a few alternate picks when it comes to his ideal superhero role.
As reported by ComicBook.com, the MCU veteran recently sat down with BBC Radio 1 to promote his latest film, Dolittle (which, in case you hadn’t heard, bombed at the box office). While answering questions provided by children, Downey revealed that even though most young moviegoers would be thrilled to play Spider-Man, there’s another Avenger he’d want to take on the role of – Hawkeye.
“I can’t think of any red-blooded American boy that didn’t imagine themselves as Spider-Man growing up,” Downey told BBC Radio 1. “However, looking back on it now — also because I’m just such a Jeremy Renner fan, and he made it so cool, particularly when he turns into Ronin [in Endgame] — I would say Hawkeye would be my go-to.”
Seeing as how Jeremy Renner was accused of making threats to his ex-wife, it’s a little odd RDJ chose to mention him by name, but his alternate superhero choice does make sense. After all, it’s hard to deny that Hawkeye fights evil with a lot of style – just rewatch the Battle of New York from the original Avengers movie if you need a refresher on everyone’s favorite sharpshooter.
Of course, while Iron Man might be gone, Robert Downey Jr. is far from done with Tony Stark. After all, he’s set to make an appearance in Black Widow, and seeing as how the MCU has a penchant for flashbacks and jumping around timelines, there’s always the chance that the actor will revisit his most iconic role for years to come.
