Robert Downey Jr. Joining Vin Diesel In Fast & Furious Franchise?
Vin Diesel wants Robert Downey Jr. to star in the Fast & Furious franchise.
According to ComicBook.com, Vin Diesel wants Robert Downey Jr. to join the cast of the final Fast and Furious film, and he already has a role picked out for him. “Without telling you too much about what happens in the future,” Vin Diesel told Variety, “there’s a character who is the antithesis of [my character] Dom who is promoting AI and driverless cars and a philosophy that with that goes your freedom.”
High-tech stuff like AI sounds like it is right up Robert Downey Jr.’s alley. The actor is well-known for playing the role of Iron Man, a.k.a. Tony Stark, the tech billionaire with all the cool gadgets in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to see him play another character that is into things like artificial intelligence and cars that are designed to drive themselves.
When asked if he has already spoken to Robert Downey Jr. about playing this part, Diesel responded: “How dare you ask me this question in front of all these people? I have pride and I have dignity.” So … we’ll take that as a maybe?
All this talk of Robert Downey Jr. began with the unveiling of the new trailer for Fast X, the penultimate film in the Fast and Furious franchise. Pretty much all that is known about the movie at the moment is that it is the first of a two-part send-off of the series and that the first official trailer will drop during Super Bowl LVII. The movie will also be starring Captain Marvel’s Brie Larsen and Aquaman’s Jason Momoa.
We don’t yet know what Robert Downey Jr. would be bringing to his potential role, but we do know that Jason Momoa is bringing something different to the table than he has ever brought before. According to the actor, he wants to try to branch out in his roles and be something other than the one-dimensional “macho guy” he played in the past. His Fast and Furious character will be more nuanced and will be a more “eccentric” villain.
“He’s amazing. He’s ornery. He’s misunderstood,” he said.
Momoa also expressed his excitement at having had the chance to work with people he had never worked with before, like Charlize Theron. In addition to new actors playing new characters, Fast X will also see the return of other franchise regulars, like Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Jordana Brewster, Scott Eastwood, and Nathalie Emmanuel.
The end of the Fast and Furious franchise has been planned since 2014, with the decision to break up the finale into two parts being made in 2020. It is not clear how long Vin Diesel has been wanting to bring Robert Downey Jr. on board, but the fact that he is openly discussing it with reporters seems like a good sign that there may just be something there – or at least he really wants there to be.
Since Avengers: Endgame concluded Robert Downey Jr.’s involvement with the MCU, the actor has mostly been taking roles in more dramatic films, such as Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. He has also, according to Cinema Blend, decided to start his own coffee company.
If things go according to Vin Diesel’s plans, Robert Downey Jr. could soon be sharing that coffee with the whole cast of Fast and Furious!
