During his time on the Avengers: Endgame set, Robert Downey Jr. reportedly had one crazy demand for his time working on the MCU epic.
Downey has opened up on numerous occasions in the last few years about his time in Marvel Studios’ biggest movie, speaking about his closing moments in the MCU while sharing insight into his experience with the franchise.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Request on Avengers: Endgame
Industry insider Joanna Robinson joined The Ringer’s The Watch podcast to discuss Robert Downey Jr.’s time on the Avengers: Endgame set.
This added to her work on the recently released behind-the-scenes book detailing the MCU’s history and future, titled MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios.
Robinson visited the Endgame set while working for Vanity Fair in 2017, revealing that it was “ice cold in the studio” due to Downey Jr.’s request that the set be regulated to that temperature:
The Watch Podcast: "What is the vibe [on Marvel Studios sets]?"
Robinson: "The vibe is interesting... It's - this isn't in the book, so it's exclusive to The Watch - it's ice cold in the studio because that's how Robert Downey Jr. likes it. So everyone else had to layer up, because Robert Downey Jr. likes things at a certain degree..."
She also confirmed that Downey Jr. “has his own trailer inside the studio” outside of the trailers for the rest of the case, looking back on how the OG Avengers actors would all hang with each other between takes:
"There's the little ocean of trailers outside of the studio, but then Downey has his own trailer inside the studio. And so, between takes, everyone hangs out in one spot. So you can just see Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Renner are all sort of sitting around, playing games, and talking to each other. And then slightly off were Sean Gunn and Karen Gillan because they weren't OG Avengers... They were in their own little duo, but they're in that movie."
As for Downey, Robinson recalled him being “off in his own world,” with stars like Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, and Chris Hemsworth all bonding over their final experience together in the MCU:
"And then Downey is off in his own world. And that's sort of the between-take vibe. But it very much looked to me like these were the graduating seniors, like ScarJo and Chris Evans and Hemsworth, they just have been through it for a while, they've just been through it for a while, they've known each other forever..."
Will Robert Downey Jr. Return to the MCU?
At this point, it’s anybody’s guess whether Robert Downey Jr. has seen his time as Tony Stark officially end for the MCU.
For Phase 4 specifically, producer Stephen Broussard noted that his comeback wasn’t “on the table” as the first set of Multiverse Saga projects focused largely on new characters.
However, MCU co-star Mark Ruffalo recently kept the door open to a potential return for the franchise’s first leading man, saying “anything could happen” at a Comic-Con event in early 2023.
Suspiciously, Downey avoided the topic of a return altogether when asked about a potential Iron Man 4 while promoting his new work, not addressing the movie at all when asked directly about the chances of it happening.
And while the MCU star is certainly well trained in the art of hiding what he knows (if anything), many are already looking to the future to see where the OG Avenger could be back in action should Marvel want more from his hero.
All of Robert Downey Jr.’s MCU appearances are available to stream on Disney+. MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios is now available on Amazon.
