Robert Downey Jr. Reportedly Joining Star Wars
Robert Downey Jr. looks to be headed to a galaxy far, far away...
This article is more than 2 years old
Robert Downey Jr. left the Marvel Cinematic Universe on an insanely high note. Many have assumed that he would be retiring Tony Stark forever after that incredible sendoff in Avengers: Endgame. And while it is still up in the air whether or not he will stay true to his claim about leaving Iron Man behind, it looks like the Mouse House might want to nab him for their other major intellectual property, Star Wars.
A new report is claiming that the former Iron Man will be taking a trip to that galaxy far, far away by appearing in the Disney+ streaming series The Mandalorian. This actually isn’t the first time we have heard that Robert Downey Jr. has been in talks to join the Star Wars universe. Insider Daniel Richtman actually dropped this information a few months ago, but he was not sure which particular Star Wars project that Disney was trying to get the actor to sign onto. If this new scoop is true, it looks like we now know it would be for The Mandalorian.
And at this point, it makes all the sense in the world to get Robert Downey Jr. in The Mandalorian. There is no question that The Mandalorian has now become Disney’s flagship title for the Star Wars brand. We have seen reports that state Disney plans to replace the sequel trilogy characters in their theme parks with characters from The Mandalorian. And with the realization that The Mandalorian was the most-pirated show of 2020, it is inarguable that Disney recognizes they have a legitimate hit on their hands.
So, injecting a talent like Robert Downey Jr. into The Mandalorian sounds like the kind of strategy that is guaranteed to pay dividends. Fans that are already locked in with the show will be even more excited and engaged with the upcoming season, and adding that kind of star power to the ensemble could persuade other folks to check out the show (read: subscribe to Disney+). If this report is on the money and if they are able to sign a deal with the prolific actor, there does not seem to be a losing element to this casting strategy.
It seems pretty clear at this point that Disney believes their best bet with the Star Wars universe is through streaming shows on Disney+. That certainly has lots of fans excited but it would double or triple the excitement surrounding these projects if a mega-star like Robert Downey Jr. became a key player in The Mandalorian and possible future Star Wars projects. With Disney clearly trying to set up the Star Wars universe in much the same way they approached the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having Robert Downey Jr. join the cast of The Mandalorian could open up the possibility of him jumping over to other Star Wars movies or streaming shows.
We will have to see if this ends up being true or not, but take it with a grain of salt for the time being. But if we keep hearing Robert Downey Jr.’s name pop up around Star Wars, we are going to have to assume something substantial is stirring.
