Robert Downey Jr. Says Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man Convinced Him to Play Iron Man

Robert Downey Jr. ‘s take on Iron Man has etched itself as one of the best big-screen superhero portrayals in history. The 59-year-old actor was experiencing several issues in his personal life at the time of his casting. Nevertheless, he ended up silencing every critic with a masterful and comic book-accurate performance as Tony Stark. Interestingly, Downey Jr. has recently revealed that he was actually inspired by Tobey Maguire to take up the mantle of Iron Man.

Robert Downey Jr. reveals how Tobey Maguire inspired him for Iron Man

According to the Oscar-winning actor, Tobey Maguire and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man inspired him to accept the role of Iron Man.

While talking to The Hollywood Reporter , Robert Downey Jr. shed light on the impact Tobey Maguire had on him before he landed the role that ultimately transformed his career. “In real-time, I saw how difficult they were,” the actor said while referring to comic book movies of the past. “[I saw] how rewarding they could be, and how popular they were becoming,” he added.

Aside from highlighting the influence of Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man, Robert Downey Jr. also touched upon his journey right before Marvel came along.

“I had been clean long enough…hungry even longer and I could feel [the] obsession coming back with manifesting the best version of myself,” stated Downey. “I had strangely been furiously strength training six times a week before I even knew [this role] was coming, and my shrink had told me ‘Just start acting like something great is gonna happen and get ready for it,'” he added. (via Comic Book Movie )

Having hung up his armor in 2019 with Avengers: Endgame, the veteran star will now be returning to the MCU as a villain. Downey Jr. is scheduled to play Doctor Doom in the upcoming Marvel projects. Despite no confirmation, he has been rumored to make an appearance in 2025’s Fantastic Four. Nonetheless, fans will get to see his portrayal of Victor von Doom in all its glory in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday.