Robert Downey Jr. 2007, Downey was cast as the title character in the film "Iron Man", with director Jon Favreau explaining the choice by stating: "Downey wasn't the most obvious choice, but he understood what makes the character tick. He found a lot of his own life experience in 'Tony Stark'." Favreau insisted on having Downey as he repeatedly claimed that Downey would be to "Iron Man" what Johnny Depp is to the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series: a lead actor who could both elevate the quality of the film and increase the public's interest in it. For the role Downey had to
The Futurist (Robert Downey Jr. album) and called Downey's lyrics "obtuse". However, he praised his interpretations of other musicians' work, such as "Your Move" by Yes and Charlie Chaplin's "Smile", and called the album "unpredictably moving as the best of Downey's film work." Elysa Gardner of "USA Today" wrote that the vibe on Downey's album "can seem pretentious or simply dull after a while, but there is a moody musicality to tracks such as 'Man Like Me' and 'Details'." Credits adapted from AllMusic. In the 2016 Marvel Studios film, "", Clint Barton mockingly refers to Tony Stark (played by Downey) as "The Futurist". The Futurist (Robert