Robert Downey Jr.tried giving his long-time friend and MCU colleagueJon Favreaua compliment during a recent interview, but the internet has wildly misread it as a backhanded insult. The pair firstjoined forces forIron Manback in 2008— the movie which kick-started the entire MCU. Favreau returned to directIron Man 2, and has served as an executive producer on every movie featuring Tony Stark, as well as making the odd appearance on-screen as Happy Hogan. As for Downey Jr., his tenure as Iron Man needs no introduction.
Downey Jr. appeared on The Hollywood Reporter’sAwards Chatter Podcastto discuss his hit HBO seriesThe Sympathizerand his surprise MCU return as Dr. Doom inAvengers: Doomsday. During the conversation, Downey Jr. reflected on his friendship and collaborations with Favreau. The actor’s compliment to the director/producer was well-intentioned, but recent events have altered public perceptions of the figure Downey Jr. compared Favreau to. Downey Jr. said:
“[Jon Favreau is] the Elon Musk of cinema. He’s always been a tech-friendly guy… as evident by [his projects].”
Across his career, Favreau has strongly embraced new technology in filmmaking. During production on the remake ofThe Jungle Book, Favreau used an early version of The Volume, a gigantic room filled with LED projections of rendered 3D environments. The new tech has become increasingly popular in film and TV production, and Favreau was one of the first backers of the hardware. The Volume is now regularly used on all of Disney+’s originalStar Warsseries, includingFavreau’sThe Mandalorian.
Fans React to Jon Favreau’s Elon Musk Comparison
As previously mentioned, Downey Jr.’s comment was said with the best of intentions. Had the actor made the same comparison a decade ago, few people would have taken issue with his tech-focused compliment. However, the Elon Musk of yesteryear and the one seen in the public spotlight today are two very different people. Following the online syndication of Downey Jr.’s quote, fans quickly took to defending Favreau from the misinformed compliment, and reminded the actor that Elon Musk isn’t the “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” his die-hard group of tech-bro fans believe him to be.Check out a selection of tweets below:
Robert Downey Jr. Breaks His Silence on How Kevin Feige Cast Him as the MCU’s Doctor Doom
Robert Downey Jr. is heading back to the MCU, but his casting as Doctor Doom was not exactly conventional.
Most fans understand that Downey Jr.’s comment was intended to be nothing more than a comparison about being open to new technologies, while some hardcore Favreau fans have taken genuine offense. One theory that has hilariously made its way through the internet is that Downey Jr. has gone full method actor ahead of his surprise MCU return. Downey Jr. both died a hero, and is living long enough to see himself become the villain as he returns to the MCU toplay Victor Von Doom inAvengers: Doomsday.It is a casting decision has split the fan base, with some excited to see what the actor will bring to the new role, while others believe it to be a lazy choice which could undermine Tony Stark’s sacrifice inAvengers: Endgame.
