Did You Miss It? Iron Man's Cheeseburger Scene Holds a Deeper Meaning
Thought it was just product placement? Think again.
Tony Stark's love of Burger King cheeseburgers, celebrated in the first film, was actually much more than a great way to promote the fast food chain.
In fact, it turns out the scene had a deep personal meaning for Robert Downey Jr., who credits Burger King with saving him from drug addiction.
"I have to thank Burger King," Downey once revealed to New York Daily News. "It was such a disgusting burger I ordered. I had that and this big soda, and I thought something really bad was going to happen."
The actor was referring to a time in his life when he struggled with a drug problem. According to Downey, it was the Burger King meal that made him throw all the drugs he had in his car into the ocean and get clean.
So the scene in the first Iron Man movie where Tony Stark craves an "American cheeseburger" after being held captive in Afghanistan is not just product placement, but rather a nod from Downey to Burger King for its apparent contribution to the actor's well-being.
The cheeseburger motif in Iron Man was suggested by Downey himself. Fans joke that "anyone who has eaten at Burger King can relate" to the actor's revelation, but it seems that the whopper he had basically turned his life around, much like his character Tony Stark did when he announced that his company was no longer making guns.
Fast food may be bad for you, but it can sometimes save your life. Now a forever Marvel icon, Robert Downey Jr. has been sober for more than 15 years.