Robert Downey Jr. has been with the Marvel Cinematic Universe since its infancy. He helped launch the shared universe that all others would come to be measured by. It was definitely a bold choice to cast Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, with the troubles of addiction in his personal life, being in and out of jail and rehab, many wondered exactly what Marvel Studios was thinking.  We can all thank Jon Favreau (along with Kevin Feige of course) for the MCU we have today as he heavily lobbied for Downey Jr. to be cast in the role.

Chris Evans, who plays Captain America in the shared universe was quoted last year by The Herald Sun as saying:

“The truth is, no one can take the leader role from Downey. Downey is the reason this is happening. If the first Iron Man movies hadn’t worked, none of this would have happened. Downey is the patriarch. Everyone looks to him.”

While taking a huge risk on Downey Jr., Marvel’s payout for their gamble could not have worked out better. The MCU is a juggernaut and still has DC and Warner Bros trying to play catch up and emulate the precise execution that Marvel has displayed. How long will the “patriarch” of the MCU stick around?

Speaking with Australia’s News.com, Downey said:

“It’s this cyclical thing. I could have said when the first Avengers came out: ‘It’s never going to get any better than that. Everybody stop’. But to me it’s always about people and opportunities, like the [Avengers: Infinity War directors Anthony and Joe] Russos, who I adore.”

“Everyone says to me it’s like a glove that fits so well. I have to start over every time but I am starting over with a pretty solid base. I just never want to blow it for the last six or seven (MCU movies) I have done by dropping the ball because I decided to go do it one more time. I just want to hang up my jersey before it’s embarrassing.”

RELATED: Spider-Man: Homecoming – Kevin Feige Confirms That Marvel Studios Basically Made The Film

It’s admirable that Downey Jr. is consciously wanting to prevent tainting the MCUby dragging out Tony Stark’s place within said universe, I for one, see no downgrade of quality in his presence in the MCU, and I think most fans would agree we will take all the RDJ as Ironman we can get. With no current plans for an Iron Man 4 in the works (possibly because of the two upcoming Avengers movies), perhaps Downey Jr. and Marvel can extend his time in the MCU by using him in similar fashion to how he was included in Spider-man: Homecoming.

Do you want Robert Downey Jr. to play Iron Man for as long as he can? Let us know in the comments down below!

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SOURCES: news.com.au, The Herald Sun