Robert Downey Jr. Is Glad This Silly Conflict with Director Nolan Didn't Stop Their Friendship
In terms of actors and the director, Oppenheimer was a collaboration of the century, and it resulted in a great piece of cinema… Though it could’ve never happened if this dumb conflict came into play.
As soon as we learned about the cast of Oppenheimer, it was clear that the movie was going to become a masterpiece. Director Nolan is a power to be reckoned with on his own, but when teamed up with the likes of Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr., it’s as clear as the day that the end result is bound to be iconic.
During the production of Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan and Robert Downey Jr. became good friends, and in recent interviews, they are seen together, laughing and chatting away together. As wholesome as it is, there were a few things that could’ve prevented this friendship — and even professional collaboration — from happening.
According to Downey Jr., receiving a call from Nolan is an insane experience in itself thanks to the director’s reputation and the awe that he inspires in people. When he heard the offer on the phone, the actor was stunned. He admitted that his first reaction was to “kind of go numb and then just [start] nodding your head.”
Having admired the director’s work for years, Robert was afraid that a silly superhero-related conflict could get in the way of their potential collaboration.
“For a minute, he was on the other team. He was a DC guy and I was a Marvel guy. But then if you just watch the history… I mean, come on. He’s quintessentially British, but he is a global phenomenon. He’s an iconic guy,” explained the actor.
After they’d already started working together on Oppenheimer, though, Downey Jr. admits that he and director Nolan bantered about their superhero franchises’ rivalry for a bit, but for him, being Team Marvel never meant remotely as much as being Team Nolan.
“[We made quips at each other,] most definitely, playfully. But I’m so happy that he called me because sometimes these dumb little things [like being parts of different franchises] can translate into feeling a bit separate. And I always wanted to be on Team Nolan. So I’m psyched,” added Robert.
Along with Downey Jr. and the entire world, we’re happy that the actor and the director found joy in working together and even became good friends, bringing us not only a phenomenal movie but a few very fun interviews to watch.
Source: ODE via YouTube