Robert Downey Jr. Has An Unexpected Pick For 'The Best Marvel Movie Ever'

There are a lot of similarities between actor Robert Downey Jr. and his character Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man. They're both smart-alecks with a history of substance abuse issues, they're both wildly talented, and they both are pretty darn proud. So when asked which movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) he thought was the best, one would assume that Downey would pick one of the "Iron Man" movies, or one of the "Avengers" movies at the very least, right? Wrong!

In the book "MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios" by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards, the various Avengers discussed their picks for the "Best Marvel Movie Ever" and the man behind Iron Man had a pretty surprising pick that honestly feels close to impossible to argue with. After all, who knows the MCU better than the people at the very center of it — and besides, are you going to argue with Tony Stark? 

While discussing the best Marvel films, Mark Ruffalo, who plays Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk, said that he felt like "Guardians of the Galaxy" changed things for the MCU in a really positive way because it wasn't as connected to the other films. Downey agreed, and even pointed out that his agreement was unusual:

"'Galaxy' in some ways is the best Marvel movie ever. And it's odd for someone with — on occasion — an ego the size of mine to actually say that."

It seems like a total no-brainer now, with the "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy containing some of the most beloved films of the MCU. But back when the first movie was in production, everyone at Marvel Studios was a little nervous about whether or not it could work. After all, the characters in "Guardians" aren't exactly your standard Marvel hero fare, with a talking tree and raccoon at the center of the chaos, and the tone is totally different. It's funny, it's weird, and it's way more audacious than any of its MCU siblings, and that's exactly why it works. Even if some folks disagree and think it's a weaker MCU outing, Iron Man himself thinks it's the best, and that has to count for something. 

The first "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie felt like a total breath of fresh air when it punched its way into the MCU, courtesy of James Gunn's riotous writing and direction, along with some fantastic casting. The guardians are a rag-tag bunch of sorta-heroes who manage to save the entire galaxy (hence the name) despite their own various shortcomings, and it's a ridiculous amount of fun. These characters can go places and do things that many of the more Earth-based Marvel heroes could never dare, and the movie helped usher in some of the weirder, wilder MCU entries like "Dr. Strange." 

Part of what's great about the MCU is that there are so many possible stories that can be told within the same universe, and the Guardians showed audiences just how different those stories can truly be.

All three "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies are now available on Disney+.