Christopher Nolan has worked with many of the best modern-day actors over his legendary filmmaking career, but even he was taken aback by Robert Downey Jr.’s strong performance in Oppenheimer. Downey Jr. will play Lewis Strauss in the film, the former member turned Chairman of the United States Atomic Energy Commission in the mid-1900s. Straus was an instrumental figure in the development of nuclear weapons and had a complicated relationship with J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man responsible for the research and design of the first atomic bomb. Downey Jr. will star opposite Cillian Murphy’s Oppenheimer in the film.
In a conversation with Total Film (via GamesRadar), Nolan spoke highly of Oppenheimer‘s star-studded cast. He went a step further when talking about the performance of Downey Jr., who is making a return to the blockbuster genre for the first time since stepping away from his long-held MCU role as Iron Man. Nolan emphasized that he believes Downey Jr. isn’t just one of the best actors currently working; he’s one of the greatest to ever appear on camera. Nolan explained:
We all know that Robert Downey Jr. is one of the great movie stars. It’s so easy to forget that he’s also one of the greatest actors of all time. Watching him lose himself in that performance, and completely lose himself in a character in this way, was just an incredible reminder of just what an amazing actor he is.
Oppenheimer Shaping Up To Be One Of Nolan’s Biggest Films
Nolan’s resume speaks for itself. From his early-career mystery thriller Memento to his iconic Dark Knight trilogy and mind-bending sci-fi films Inception and Interstellar, he’s proven himself in a variety of genres. Through his exploration of a scientific and societal turning point in the Manhattan Project and the invention of the atomic bomb, Oppenheimer looks like a big hit in waiting. From what’s been revealed about the film, the dramatic retelling of these real-world events appears to be a combination of Nolan’s strengths as a filmmaker. It has the potential to be his biggest and best project to date.
There is a level of grandeur that Nolan’s productions carry. He remains a writer and director focused on telling big stories on the big screen, pioneering the use of IMAX cameras on a large stage to add to the feel and immersion of his films’ most pivotal moments. Nolan also has a commitment to practical effects. The Dark Knight Rises‘ 18-wheeler flip scene, Interstellar‘s space travel sequences, and the countless stunning visuals in Inception are among the most famous examples. For Oppenheimer, Nolan has already revealed his team practically recreated the Trinity test, the first detonation of a nuclear bomb in history. Oppenheimer, like many of Nolan’s previous films, is shaping up to be a visual and emotional spectacle.
Oppenheimer‘s cast is truly stacked. Nolan’s comments on Downey Jr. are meaningful coming from such a storied director and writer, and audiences could be in for one of his most nuanced performances to date. The rest of the cast is equally impressive. Murphy has starred in several other Nolan films, most recently appearing in Dunkirk, another riveting historical drama. Florence Pugh, Gary Oldman, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and Jack Quaid are all featured on a casting list that rivals any of the films that Nolan has made previously.
While Oppenheimer doesn’t release until next year, anticipation is steadily building, partly due to the exciting information Nolan has shared thus far. Fans of Downey Jr. likely aren’t surprised by Nolan’s praise of the veteran actor, but it certainly adds more fuel to Oppenheimer‘s fire. That fire should keep growing in intensity before the film explodes into theaters in July.
Key Release Dates
Oppenheimer
Release Date:2023-07-21
