Oppenheimer Reminded Christopher Nolan That Robert Downey Jr. Is More Than Just A 'Movie Star'

It's been nearly four years at this point since Robert Downey Jr. left the MCU for good, and his only big movie role since he left was as Dr. Dolittle in 2020. The movie technically wasn't the worst thing in the world, but it didn't inspire a ton of confidence that Downey Jr. would be entering a fresh, exciting new stage of his acting career. Downey Jr.'s given a lot of great performances over the years, but the Iron Man role towers above the rest, at least in terms of sheer popularity. As a result, he's mainly got a reputation for playing snarky genius characters; his two-movie stint as Sherlock Holmes doesn't help that perception either. 

This is all likely to change within the next few years, however. Not only does he have a starring role in the promising upcoming miniseries "The Sympathizer," based on the bestselling novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen, but he's also got a role in Christopher Nolan's upcoming film, "Oppenheimer." He plays Lewis Strauss, an Atomic Energy Commission member who constantly clashed with J. Robert Oppenheimer. Strauss is a deeply controversial figure in American history, much like Oppenheimer himself. 

It's a role that promises to be a stark departure from what Downey Jr.'s typically known for, but director Christopher Nolan never seemed to doubt he was up for the task. "We all know that Robert Downey Jr. is one of the great movie stars," Nolan said in an interview with Total Film. "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," Nolan continued. It's high praise from a director who's worked with so many other renowned actors throughout his career. It's even more notable when you remember how much Nolan likes reusing his favorite actors in subsequent films.

"Oppenheimer" also stars Cillian Murphy, an actor who's starred in Nolan's films like "Batman Begins," "Inception," "The Dark Knight," "The Dark Knight Rises," and "Dunkirk." Even if it weren't for the many interviews from Nolan confirming it, it's clear the director's taken a liking to Murphy, because half of those roles weren't even central to the plot. Nolan's also famous for liking Michael Caine, to the point where he's cast him in every single one of his films since "Batman Begins." 

It's the sort of thing that makes you wonder: this is the first time Robert Downey Jr.'s gotten to be in a Nolan film, but will it be his last? Will he get the same treatment as Christian Bale or Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, or Anne Hathaway? We have no idea what Nolan's plans are for his next movie after "Oppenheimer," but maybe Robert Downey Jr. will get to star in it too.