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
Robert Downey Sr. résumé includes appearances in eight films directed by his father ("Pound", "Greaser's Palace", "Moment to Moment", "Up the Academy", "America", "Rented Lips", "Too Much Sun", "Hugo Pool"), as well as two acting appearances in movies where his father was also an actor ("Johnny Be Good", "Hail Caesar"). Downey has been married three times. His first marriage was to actress Elsie Ann Downey ("née" Ford), with whom he had two children: actress-writer Allyson Downey and actor Robert Downey Jr. The marriage ended in divorce in 1978. His second marriage, to actress-writer Laura Ernst, ended with her 1994 death from Lou Gehrig's