Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr. is currently leading the race for an Oscar win in the Best Supporting Actor category for his role in ‘Oppenheimer.’ As he gears up for what seems to be a triumphant awards season, initiated by his Golden Globes victory, the actor took a moment to reflect on his career choices throughout the years.
In a recent appearance on the ‘Literally! With Rob Lowe’ podcast, the star candidly discussed feeling at the peak of his career in 2019 after completing an 11-year stint as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.He referred to this period as some of his “best work,” unfortunately overshadowed by the superhero genre’s tendency to go unnoticed.
“I felt so exposed after being in the cocoon of Marvel, where I believe I did some of the best work I will ever do, but it went a little bit unnoticed because of the genre,” explained the actor.However, it was only a few years ago, in 2019, that RDJ made headlines when he addressed the Oscars snub. Downey, renowned for his portrayal of Tony Stark, spoke with Howard Stern about the film. During the conversation, Stern expressed his admiration for “Endgame” and suggested that Downey should be recognized for his outstanding performance.
“Because it’s a superhero movie, they turn [up] their nose at it,” Stern remarked about Academy voters. “The performance is excellent. It’s a totally believable character.”
In response, Downey stated, “I’m so glad you brought this up because there was some talk about [an Oscar campaign for his work]. And I said, ‘Let’s not.’”

“Doing (the MCU films) was their own reward,” Downey emphasized. “I don’t know if it’s time or if I am the guy… to have the Academy recognize.”
In 2019, Disney launched its For Your Consideration website, featuring the record-breaking box office hit “Avengers: Endgame” in its campaign for Oscar accolades. However, the film only secured one nomination in the Best Visual Effects category, losing to “1917,” a World War I drama.