Last updated: March 16, 2021
After more than a decade of playing the iconic Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. is set to appear in a variety of roles for his upcoming movies. Downey Jr. is one of the biggest and most recognizable movie stars on the planet, but life before Tony Stark was anything but glamorous for the actor. After earning an Oscar nomination for Chaplin, Downey Jr. experienced troubles with drug addiction towards the end of the 1990s, which resulted in jail time. After receiving critical acclaim in 2007’s Zodiac, Downey Jr.’s career comeback skyrocketed with 2008’s Iron Man.
From Iron Man to Avengers: Endgame, Downey Jr. became synonymous with Tony Stark and the MCU. Downey Jr.’s popularity soared as he became the third highest-paid actor in 2019. However, Downey Jr.’s time as Iron Man came to an end after his death in Avengers: Endgame. Although a return to the MCU is possible, Downey Jr. is preparing for life post-Iron Man with a diverse range of characters in future movies.
Downey Jr. kicked off 2020 with Dolittle, his first role post-MCU. Unfortunately for Downey Jr., life after Iron Man is getting off to a rough start, as Dolittle became 2020’s first big box office flop. That being said, the actor will have quite a few chances to become a box office star once more with his upcoming slate of movies. Here’s every upcoming Robert Downey Jr. movie.
What If…? & Black Widow - 2021
While Downey Jr.’s time as Iron Man may have come to an end in Avengers: Endgame, the actor will be featured in Marvel’s animated Disney+ series, What If…? The series will examine the events in the Marvel Cinematic Universe from a different perspective. If one thing had changed in any of the movies, how would things be different? What If…? will premiere halfway through 2021. The series will consist of ten episodes. There is also speculation that Downey Jr. will make an appearance in Black Widow, though that hasn’t been confirmed. However, since the film is set before Endgame, it’s possible Iron Man could show up.
All-Star Weekend - TBA
Downey Jr., who was once a cast member on Saturday Night Live, is returning to his comedic roots in the sports-comedy All-Star Weekend. Written and directed by Jamie Foxx, All-Star Weekend pits two friends against each other as they each root for opposing NBA superstars LeBron James and Steph Curry. Foxx and Downey Jr. previously worked together in 2009’s The Soloist. Foxx and Downey Jr. will both star alongside Ken Jeong, Benicio del Toro, Gerard Butler, Jessica Szohr, and Eva Longoria. The film is currently in post-production with no confirmed release date, though it could be released at some point in 2021.
Sherlock Holmes 3 - On Hold
Holmes and Watson are expected to return for the third time in Sherlock Holmes 3. However, the film has been delayed multiple times now. In July 2019, Dexter Fletcher (Rocketman) was announced as the film’s director. Both Downey Jr. and Jude Law will reprise their roles as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. The film was scheduled for a theatrical release on December 22, 2021, which would have marked 10 years since the second film, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, was released. However, Fletcher confirmed during the Celebrity Catch Up Podcast (via Digital Spy) that Sherlock Holmes 3 is currently “sitting on the back burner at the moment.” This is due to the global pandemic and it’s currently unclear when Downey Jr. and Law will return to actually begin filming or when the film will finally be released.
Untitled John Brinkley Biopic
Downey Jr. is set to team with Richard Linklater in an untitled John Brinkley Biopic. Downey Jr. will star as Dr. John Brinkley, a con man who claimed to be a doctor and scammed his way to fame using fake medicine and popular radio broadcast. Linklater will direct from a script written by Holly Gent. The film was announced in 2017 and will be produced by Annapurna, Linklater’s Detour Filmproduction, and Downey Jr.’s production company, Team Downey. There have been no casting updates or release date information.
Pinocchio
It’s been many years since the remake of Pinocchio was announced with Downey Jr. set to star. The actor was set to play the toymaker Geppetto, Paul Thomas Anderson and Ron Howard were attached as directors at different points in time, though they . For now, it’s unclear when fans will get to Downey Jr. in the Warner Bros. live-action adaptation, as there seems to be no forward movement on the film or any confirmed news about when it will begin filming.
Next: Robert Downey Jr Has Only Done 5 Non-Marvel Movies In The Last Decade
