Robert Downey Jr. gain more than 20 pounds of muscle in five months to look like he "had the power to forge iron". "Iron Man" was globally released between April 30 and May 3, 2008, grossing over $585 million worldwide and receiving rave reviews which cited Downey's performance as a highlight of the film. By October 2008, Downey had agreed to appear as Iron Man in two "Iron Man" sequels, as part of the Iron Man franchise, as well as "The Avengers", featuring the superhero team that Stark joins, based on Marvel's comic book series "The Avengers". He first reprised the role in
Andrew Downey Orrick Andrew Downey Orrick Andrew Downey Orrick (October 18, 1917 – January 27, 2008) was a partner with Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and the acting chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in San Francisco. He was born on October 18, 1917 in San Francisco, California to William Horsley Orrick Sr. He had a brother, William Horsley Orrick Jr. Downey graduated from Yale University in 1940, where he was a member of Skull and Bones. At Yale, while playing for the Yale baseball team, he hit the longest home run. He served during World War II, then attended UC Hastings