Robert Downey Jr. ‘grateful’ to have played Iron Man in Marvel Cinematic Universe

American actor Robert Downey Jr. shot to fame with his performance as Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

And while the actor may have had to bid adieu to the role after a decade, fans are still clinging on to hope of his return.

Opening up about playing Tony Stark, Downey Jr. told Hindustan Times in an interview: “Each project is different. Playing Tony/Iron Man was hard and I dug deep. I had an incredible 10-year run that was creatively satisfying.”

He also revealed to what extent he was shaped by his MCU character: “Sure, some would think so since I’m doing tech-based climate solutions with my FootPrint Coalition and my technology focused YouTube original, The Age of A.I. but I believe in aesthetic distance. I’m not Tony.”

Regarding his character being written off in the MCU, Downey Jr. said: “I’ve done all I could with that character and can do other things now. Now, being middle-aged, you start looking at the back nine and realize this is all part of the journey and things end. I am fortunate and eternally grateful to have wound up where I have.”