Actor Robert Downey Jr. has had a long and super successful career. But his name will likely always be synonymous with Tony Stark/ Iron Man, as he was the first actor to start in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Given his acclaimed performance as an Avenger, there are other superheroes that fans could see him as. So what if Robert Downey Jr. had been cast as Batman? Fan art plays with that possibility, and I am sold.
Batman is arguably DC’s most popular superhero, and has therefore been adapted for film a number of times throughout the years. While actors like Christian Bale and Robert Pattinson killed it as the Caped Crusader, I have to assume that RDJ would have brought the same charisma and heart to the role as he did with Iron Man. Now we can see what he’d look like as Batman thanks to fan art on Reddit, check it out:
Marvel Actors as DCEU characters from r/midjourney
I mean, come on now. Robert Downey Jr. looks absolutely badass suited up as Batman, and now I wish this fan casting would come true. While it seems unlikely since RDJ has finally retired from playing Iron Man, his schedule is technically more open than ever.
The above piece of epic fan art comes to us from Reddit, in a thread of images which puts MCU actors in DC roles. In addition to Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man we also see Chris Evans as Superman, Elizabeth Olsen as Poison Ivy, and more. If only the multiverse was real, and we could see this all play out on the big screen.
There are actually a ton of similarities between Iron Man and Batman, which may be partly why RDJ looks so good in this fan art. Tony Stark famously calls himself a “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” in the first Avengers movie, which could also be used to describe Bruce Wayne. Plus they both put their fortune into crime fighting gear, despite not actually having any superpowers to speak of. And smart money says Downey’s bone structure would look great in Batman's signature cowl.
It was a big gamble when Robert Downey Jr. was cast in Iron Man, as he had a bit of a reputation. But in the end the casting was perfect, and RDJ made a ton of money during his tenure as Tony Stark. Although there are still conversations about alternate casting choices, including what Tom Cruise’s Iron Man might have been.
There are ton of different Batmen occupying the big screen currently, partly thanks to The Flash’s twist tending. That blockbuster features Ben Affleck, Michael Keaton, and even George Clooney’s Bruce Wayne. Add in Robert Pattinson in The Batman, and that’s a ton of Batmen. As such, it doesn’t seem impossible that RDJ could eventually take on the role.
DC’s Blue Beetle is in theaters now, and the next Marvel movie hitting theaters is The Marvels November 10th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
