Robert Downey Jr. Says Oppenheimer Is The Best Movie He’s Ever Made
Marvel fans may feel betrayed to learn that Robert Downey Jr. has referred to Oppenheimer as the best film he’s ever been in. This news comes courtesy of a write-up in Coming Soon, which quotes comments made by RDJ at the Oppenheimer premier.
Robert Downey Jr. says Oppenheimer is the best film he’s ever starred in.
These feelings then became even more complicated, as Robert Downey Jr. and the rest of the cast departed the premiere before the movie was shown, in solidarity with the then-looming SAG-AFTRA strike.
As of midnight on July 14, SAG-AFTRA officially announced their strike, which prohibits any union member from appearing in any ongoing film productions, as well as attending press releases, award shows, premier screenings, and even podcast appearances.
Obviously, this means a full and immediate stop to nearly all film and television outside of reality shows and a few cooking programs. This was also the cause of Robert Downey Jr. and his co-stars departing the Oppenheimer premiere before the film was shown on the evening of July 13.
In addition to Robert Downey Jr., who portrays Former United States Secretary of Commerce Lewis Strauss in the film, Oppenheimer touts an incredible all-star cast. The cast of the political war biopic includes Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Kenneth Branagh, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, and many more, all of whom walked off the red carpet to begin constructing their picket signs in solidarity with the SAG-AFTRA union members.
Nolan specifically referenced RDJ’s time with Marvel as a highlight of his status as a “movie star” while explaining that the best performances from the Oppenheimer star are the ones that explore deep subtlety and nuance.
Robert Downey Jr. has appeared in nearly 100 on-screen performances before signing on for Oppenheimer, with over 10 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe alone.
In addition to his work with numerous high profile auteur filmmakers such as David Fincher, Shane Black, and Richard Attenborough, RDJ has received Academy Award nominations for 1992’s Chaplin as well as 2008’s Tropic Thunder. For the illustrious Iron Man actor to refer to his role in Oppenheimer as one of his best ever, it must truly stand as a ringing endorsement.
Oppenheimer writer-director Christopher Nolan echoed these comments, expressing that Robert Downey Jr. is an actor who can disappear into a role like few can, with the promise that a demonstration of this skill can be seen in the film. Nolan specifically referenced RDJ’s time with Marvel as a highlight of his status as a “movie star” while explaining that the best performances from the Oppenheimer star are the ones that explore deep subtlety and nuance.
Nolan went on to state that the last time he’d seen Robert Downey Jr. in a role as complicated as Lewis Strauss was when he portrayed Charlie Chaplin over 30 years ago.
In addition to Robert Downey Jr., who portrays Former United States Secretary of Commerce Lewis Strauss in the film, Oppenheimer touts an incredible all-star cast.
Despite Robert Downey Jr. and the rest of the Oppenheimer cast departing the premiere, they’ll still get the chance to catch the film in theaters when it arrives on July 21.
As for whether or not the role of Lewis Strauss is RDJ’s best performance remains to be seen. Hopefully fans across the world enjoy the film as much as the cast and crew have, as the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes may mean this is the last big movie we’ll get for the next calendar year.
