Robert Downey Jr.has an impressive filmography, yet his two post-Endgamemovies showcase the best and worst of his career. Downey has become one of Hollywood’s top actors following his famous redemption, and it is partly due to the actor starring in one of the lead roles of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for a decade.Robert Downey Jr. was perfect as Iron Man, with his natural swagger and previous history lending the perfect characterization for Tony Stark. Unfortunately,Iron Man’s story finally came to an end withAvengers: Endgame, which saw Downey’s character sacrifice himself to save the universe.
Since his 2019 departure from the MCU,Robert Downey Jr. has starred in two non-Marvel movies, 2020’sDolittleand 2023’sOppenheimer. The actor has also branched out, playing five supporting roles in HBO’sThe Sympathizer, as well as making his Broadway debut inMcNeal. In 2024, at San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced thatRobert Downey Jr. would play Doctor Doom inAvengers: Doomsday, marking his official return to the MCU. However,the two movies between Downey’s Marvel departure and return are the most interesting, asDolittleandOppenheimerdemonstrated the best and worst of Robert Downey Jr.’s career.
Robert Downey Jr.’s First Post-Endgame Movie Was The Worst Of His Career
2020’s Dolittle Was A Critical And Commercial Failure
Robert Downey Jr.’s first movie following the success ofAvengers: Endgamewas 2020’sDoolittle. The fantasy adventure film is based on the Hugh Lofting character, a doctor who can communicate with animals, and is primarily inspired by his second book,The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle.With Downey starring as the titular character,Dolittlefollows the reclusive doctor as he embarks on a journey to find a cure for a young Queen Victoria. The film is not the firstDoctor Dolittleadaptation, as Eddie Murphy previously led a commercially successful franchise, however, unlike Murphy’s films,Dolittlewas quite bad.
Dolittlewas decidedly a far cry from Downey’s previously meaningful characters, and its terrible reception only added injury to the actor’s career followingAvengers: Endgame
On a budget of $175 million, which further increased after reshoots,Robert Downey Jr.’sDolittlemoviewas a flop, grossing just $251.5 million worldwide.Critics gaveDolittlea shockingly low 15% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, citing the movie’s dull plot, over-the-top childish comedy, and CGI as justification. Interestingly, the film also scored a 76% Popcornmeter, showing some audiences liked it, although the majority agreeDolittleis considerably more entertaining for children. Consequently,Dolittlewas decidedly a far cry from Downey’s previously meaningful characters, and its terrible reception only added injury to the actor’s career followingAvengers: Endgame.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Oppenheimer Performance Is One Of His Best
Oppenheimer Provided Downey With His First Oscar Win
In contrast, Downey’s next post-Avengers: Endgamemovie showcased the actor at his best. A few years following the failure ofDolittle,Robert Downey Jr. landed a supporting role as AEC Chairman Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’s epic biographical thriller,Oppenheimer.Strauss plays a minor role in the 2023 film as he attempts to strip Oppenheimer of his clearance at the US Department of Energy due to petty motivations and jealousy of the physicist.Robert Downey Jr. previously said thatKiss Kiss Bang Bangwas “the best film I’ve ever done,”yet his role inOppenheimermay have changed that.
Robert Downey Jr. played a quiet villain inOppenheimer, with his performance being a standout in the movie, despite the lead character of Robert Oppenheimer being played by Cillian Murphy. The actor received praise for his subtlety in being able to portray a complex character with charm, which diverged into a sinister manipulation. In fact,amongOppenheimer’smany accolades, Robert Downey Jr. won Best Supporting Actor at the 96th Academy Awards, bringing home his first Oscar. Therefore, it’s safe to say thatOppenheimermarks Robert Downey Jr.’s best performance since being in the MCU, if not, of all time.
How Other MCU Actors Have Fared After Endgame
Chris Evans And Scarlett Johansson Have Varied Success
Other MCU actors have also felt the impact on their careers sinceAvengers: Endgamewas released in 2019, especially Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson. Joining Robert Downey Jr. as some of the main characters killed off inAvengers: Endgame, the two have seen various levels of success in non-Marvel projects.Chris Evans recently got real about his movies afterAvengers: Endgame,jokingly remarking toMaterialistsco-stars that Evans would “ruin both of their careers” if Dakota Johnson and Pedro Pascal were continuously cast in movies alongside him, referring to Evans’ unfortunate trend of box office bombs following his MCU exit.
Although Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson’s characters, Captain America and Black Widow, died inAvengers: Endgame, the two actors made further appearances in the MCU withBlack Widow(2021) andDeadpool & Wolverine(2024).
On the other hand, Scarlett Johansson has seen much more varied success since her departure from the MCU following the death of Natasha Romanoff.Johansson has appeared in a few critically acclaimed movies, such asMarriage Story,Asteroid City, andThe Phoenician Scheme, which received limited releases, thus affecting box office results. She has also starred in box office hits likeSing 2andJojo Rabbit. However, some ofScarlett Johansson’s movieshave also bombed, including the infamousFly Me to the Moon, starring Channing Tatum. However, Johansson could be seeing major success again with the upcomingJurassic World: Rebirth.
Dolittle Could Be One Reason Behind Robert Downey Jr.’s MCU Return
2020’s Disaster May Have Pushed A Marvel Comeback
The truth is thatDolittle’sfailure could be one of the reasons behindRobert Downey Jr.’s Marvel return as Doctor Doom.Following a decade of box office success and infamy driven by playing one of the most iconic characters in cinematic and comic history, Downey’sDolittlewas a major letdown, especially as it was the first movie post-Endgame. The movie was nominated for six Razzie awards that year alone, and its dismal 15% score certainly puts a stain on Robert Downey Jr.’s impressive filmography. In fact, Downey even stated thatDolittlewas “a two-and-a-half-year wound of squandered opportunity.”
$2.799 billion
$251 million
Oppenheimer(2023)
$975.8 million
As a result,Robert Downey Jr.’s most important movie pickshave changed for the actor. Not only isThe Shaggy Dogconsidered important for demonstrating the career stability that allowed his Iron Man casting, but so isDolittle. Downey said “We had this reset of priorities,” due to the movie’s poor reception. Therefore, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility thatDolittle’sfailingshave essentially driven the actor into the safe realm of Marvel once again. However, the subsequent success ofOppenheimerandRobert Downey Jr.’s movies prior to joining the MCU demonstrates his true merit.
Dolittle
Cast
Dolittle is a 2020 reboot of the Doctor Dolittle franchise starring Robert Downey Jr. The film is partly based on Hugh Lofting’s novel The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle and centers on the titular character as he searches for a mysterious island with his crew of talking animals. The film received poor reviews upon release and was also a box-office failure.
Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer is a film by Christopher Nolan, which follows the theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man behind the atomic bomb. Cillian Murphy will play the titular role, with the story based on the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.
