Robert Downey Jr. says Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire motivated him to join the MCU

Robert Downey Jr. says Tobey Maguire was the motivation for his decision to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Speaking on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Downey, who co-starred with Maguire in the 2000 dramedy Wonder Boys, said the Spider-Man star influenced his decision to play Iron Man because he gained insight into what it’s like to play a superhero from him.

“In real time, I saw how hard they were, how rewarding they could be, and how popular (comic book movies) were becoming,” Downey explained, adding, “I’d been clean long enough… hungry long enough, and I could feel (the) obsession coming back to manifest the best version of myself. I was, oddly enough, weight training furiously six times a week before I even knew (this role) was coming up, and my psychiatrist had said to me, ‘Just start pretending that something amazing is going to happen and get ready for it.'”

Downey ultimately played Tony Stark/Iron Man in the MCU for 11 years, which he calls “some of the best work” of his career. He played a pivotal role in the franchise’s success and expansion, even attracting more big names to sign on in the early years, despite Marvel’s initial reservations about his casting.

Rumors that Marvel Studios was considering bringing back Downey and actors from the original Avengers film for a new project began circulating in November of last year. However, the Russo brothers claimed that they had “closed that book.” Downey wasn’t so definitive, as he indicated that he would “love” to return to the MCU in the future.

Downey made that statement true when he was revealed as Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom during the Marvel Studios panel at San Diego Comic-Con in July. He will play the iconic villain in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, both of which are being directed by the Russo brothers as part of the MCU’s Phase 6.

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X/Twitter here.