Christopher Nolan Named One Of The Best Casting Choices In History (In A Marvel Movie, No Less)

Christopher Nolan certainly knows how to get the casting right for his projects, as we've seen many masterful acting performances throughout his filmography, from Guy Pearce in 2000's Memento to Matthew McConaughey in 2014's Interstellar and to Cillian Murphy in the recently released Oppenheimer.

With that in mind, it seems especially impressive that the acclaimed director would consider the casting of a Marvel movie, of all things, to be one of the greatest casting choices of all time.

While speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Nolan revealed that choosing Robert Downey Jr. to play Iron Man in the 2008 film of the same name was 'one of the greatest casting decisions in the history of movies.'

He praised the insight of the film's director, Jon Favreau, for recognizing the actor's potential and remarkable charisma, which made Iron Man such a huge success.

Curiously, Nolan admitted that Downey Jr. had to downplay his natural charm to portray Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, as he instructed the actor to 'lose yourself in this real human being.'

Fans seem to agree with the legendary director, as they believe that Robert has practically carried the entire MCU on his shoulders, becoming the face of it, and that his departure after Avengers: Endgame deeply affected the cinematic universe. It feels like he was born to play Tony Stark, catching lightning in a bottle and laying the groundwork for future Marvel films.

Some also draw parallels to how Nolan himself took a huge casting risk that ultimately paid off handsomely. When it was announced that Heath Ledger would play the Joker in 2008's The Dark Knight, fans were stunned and outraged, as no one could see the heartthrob as the mad clown.

But against all odds, Ledger managed to deliver a miraculous performance that is now almost unanimously hailed as one of most impressive Jokers of all time, if not the best. Unfortunately, it was one of the last roles in the actor's career, as he passed away a few months before the movie's release.

As mentioned above, Oppenheimer stars Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, who serves as the antagonist to the titular scientist played by Cillian Murphy. Nolan's new movie is currently in theaters, and judging by the reviews, it lives up to the high expectations.

Sources: Happy Sad Confused, Reddit