Robert Downey Jr's New Upcoming Project Is Already Better Than Oppenheimer in Every Way
The new project promises to show the actor from a side the viewers has never seen before.
Robert Downey Jr. says that his entire career can be divided into two periods: before Iron Man and after. This is an honest statement: without that blockbuster and its sequels, the actor would not have achieved such widespread popularity and the right to earn eight-figure salaries.
But now that Iron Man is dead, the actor has complete freedom of choice and action – and he uses it.
The role of Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer will undoubtedly be one of the most outstanding achievements of the actor's career, but another project, less high-profile than Oppenheimer, is on the way and it looks like it will be the culmination of Downey Jr.'s acting skills, surpassing even his role in Nolan's magnum opus.
The spy thriller The Sympathizer is a highly intriguing Max project that is ready to take over from the recently completed Succession and Barry. The involvement of South Korean director Park Chan-wook and Robert Downey Jr. probably make it the next big thing.
The Sympathizer is based on Vietnamese author Viet Thanh Nguyen's debut novel of the same name. And as described, it is a spy thriller and cross-cultural satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy in the final days of the Vietnam War.
Robert Downey Jr., although not the lead, will be playing several different characters on screen – an Orange County Congressman, a CIA operative and a movie director. Playing even two characters in the same movie or series is not an easy task, let alone more.
The series is directed by Park Chan-wook, who created the world-famous Oldboy, as well as the movie The Handmaiden. Last year, he won the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival for Decision to Leave.
The South Korean director has a background in television – he directed the BBC series The Little Drummer Girl, and The Sympathizer will be the director's second television project.
The role in Oppenheimer is a big achievement that proved that Downey Jr. is more than just Iron Man, but apparently it is The Sympathizer that will show the fans all the facets of Robert Downey Jr.'s acting talent.
There is no exact release date for The Sympathizer yet, but it is known that it will be released on Max in 2024.