Director Christopher Nolan’s high praise for Robert Downey Jr.’s acting talents sets up a great partnership for the Oppenheimer star’s post-MCU career. Nolan’s upcoming 2023 film Oppenheimer, which follows the life and contributions of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) to the creation of the atomic bomb in World War II, features Robert Downey Jr. playing real-life Atomic Energy Commission chairman Lewis Strauss. Oppenheimer may be the first collaboration between Nolan and RDJ, but comments from the director indicate it won’t be the last.
When discussing Oppenheimer‘s star-studded cast, Christopher Nolan specifically elaborated on the talents of the Lewis Strauss actor: “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…was just an incredible reminder of what an amazing actor he is.” Nolan is known for bringing back actors for multiple films, such as Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy, so the director’s high praise hints that RDJ will return for more of the filmmaker’s projects.
Robert Downey Jr’s Best Future Is In Christopher Nolan Movies
In addition to Oppenheimer being Christopher Nolan’s big return after the divisive release of 2020’s Tenet, the biopic drama is Robert Downey Jr.’s first major project since 2020’s Dolittle, which arrived shortly after his final bow as Iron Man in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. The actor is now in a position to redefine his career post-MCU, as he’s finished his decade-long tenure headlining the biggest franchise in the world. As RDJ moves on from the MCU, Nolan’s films are the perfect middle ground in breaking back into a prestigious dramatic lens. Nolan’s movies allow Robert Downey Jr. to maintain a place in big-budget projects and action-supported sci-fi films, while also leaning heavily on dramatic performances.
Considering his 2021 film All-Star Weekend is on hold indefinitely, Robert Downey Jr.’s only upcoming releases aside from Oppenheimer are HBO’s The Sympathizer and adaptations of the Parker books. This means Oppenheimer has the potential to become the actor’s next era-defining project, likely setting up the trajectory of his roles for the next several years. While there’s no word on Nolan’s next film after Oppenheimer, his comments regarding Robert Downey Jr.’s performance indicate the two will continue to work together as they both enter new stages in their careers, perhaps finally bringing Nolan and RDJ their long-awaited Oscar wins.
RDJ’s Oppenheimer Role Will Reverse His Iron Man Heroism
Since Downey’s only role since Iron Man was Dr. Dolittle in the eponymous critically-panned box-office bomb, Oppenheimer is what truly defines the next wave in his career. As it turns out, Oppenheimer is the perfect way for RDJ to break away from Iron Man, as his new character is regarded as a villain in history. Unlike the heroic and valiant Iron Man/Tony Stark in the MCU, Lewis Strauss is set to be the biggest antagonist in Oppenheimer, as he was a driving force in the controversial hearings that caused J. Robert Oppenheimer’s security clearance in the U.S. Department of Energy to be revoked.
Key Release Dates
Oppenheimer
Release Date:2023-07-21
