Robert Downey Jr., known for his role as Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recently starred in a new video conversation with Ironheart star Dominique Thorne. This video was a candid and emotional conversation between the two actors and presented by Marvel. In this latest video, Downey praised Thorne’s performance in the new Disney+ series, calling it “mind-blowing.”
During the discussion, which happened during the first few episodes of Ironheart, an origin story that follows Riri Williams, a teenage inventor who builds her own suit of armor, Downey was clearly amazed as he complimented Thorne by saying, “You’ve really done us proud.” Downey called Thorne's journey “a beautiful full circle,” since Riri's story taps into Tony Stark’s legacy within the Marvel universe (Turns out Tony Stark was not even included in the entire MCU!).
Thorne also shared how it felt taking on a role that invites comparison to Iron Man. She shared she had moments when she was filming, especially in scenes using a helmet display interface, similar to Iron Man’s screen display, and had to remind herself how big the moment actually was. “This is Iron Man. This is Tony Stark. This is crazy bi brah.”
Although Downey does not appear in Ironheart, he continues to show support for Thorne. Their interaction echoes the mentor-student dynamic that Tony Stark shares with Riri Williams in the Marvel comics. In their stories, Stark serves as a mentor to Riri after she builds her own sophisticated armor.
Downey and Thorne's offscreen relationship seems to portray that same spirit. Earlier in March, Downey surprised both Thorne and co-star Anthony Ramos with a message during a segment on Good Morning America. "Iron Man loves Ironheart," he told them live on air and wished them well as they were promoting the show.
Thorne has talked about the significance of Downey’s support and refers to him as a friend and a mentor. In a few interviews, she has spoken about how special it was for her to receive advice and support from someone important in the making of the modern Marvel universe.
The dialogue between Downey and Thorne serves as a meaningful linkage of two generations of Marvel hero's, it speaks to the legacy of Tony Stark, even after we are not seeing his character on screen any longer, it also highlights Thorne's introduction into the Marvel universe.
Marvel fans responded to the dialogue well, many people called the video emotional and inspiring, a true passing of the torch from Iron Man to Ironheart.
