Marvel Star Robert Downey Jr. Calls Out Elon Musk, Urging Him To ‘Control His Behavior’

By maks in Showbiz On 23rd October 2024
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Robert Downey Jr. recently shared his thoughts on Elon Musk, urging him to 'control his behavior' even though the actor admits they've only crossed paths 'a few times'.

Downey Jr.'s iconic Iron Man character, Tony Stark, shares a lot of similarities with Musk, particularly their mutual love for technology.

However, despite these similarities, the actor and the tech billionaire don't usually move in the same social circles.

Elon Musk is a staunch supporter of Donald Trump JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images
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While Musk has been busy making headlines for showing up at rallies, launching rockets into space, and sharing his thoughts on Twitter, Downey Jr. sat down for an interview on New York Magazine's On With Kara Swisher podcast.

During their conversation, Swisher made the point that Musk has often been 'cosplaying' as Downey Jr.’s famous Marvel character, who first made his movie debut back in 2008.

Tony Stark, of course, is rooted in the Marvel Comics universe, but it’s interesting to note that Jon Favreau, the director of Iron Man, acknowledged in a 2016 interview that Musk did, in fact, inspire parts of Tony Stark's character.

Tony Stark's persona was influenced by Musk Paramount Pictures
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Favreau explained that although Iron Man is 'based on the comic book', he mentioned in the Recode Decode podcast that both Downey Jr. and Musk spent time together while preparing for the role. This helped provide a clearer understanding of what it might really be like to live as Tony Stark.

Not only did Musk influence aspects of the character, but Favreau also revealed that Musk even allowed scenes from Iron Man 2 to be filmed at SpaceX, calling him a 'very good friend of the Marvel family' back in those days.

However, with Musk now drawing more public attention, largely because of his ownership of Twitter and his backing of presidential candidate Trump, Downey Jr. has voiced his belief that Musk might need to dial things back a little.

During his conversation with Swisher, Downey Jr. said: "I've only met him a few times. I just wish that he would control his behavior a little more."

The actor continued, discussing Musk's ambitious Mars plans: "This idea of 'It's all okay because we've gotta get to Mars' doesn't really hold water with me."

Even with these criticisms, Downey Jr. was quick to acknowledge the significant contributions Musk has made, noting how impactful his accomplishments have been over the years.

Downey Jr. urged Musk to 'control his behavior' Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images

"You have to look at all that [Musk has] done that demonstrates why he's valuable," he stated.

"Nowadays separating the individual from their behavior is a tough thing to do because hell is other people—and that has been hijacked in this information age, to divide us rather than allow for discourse, debate, and dialogue."

Interestingly, it wasn't just Musk who inspired Tony Stark's character. In 2022, Iron Man screenwriter Mark Fergus shared with New York Magazine that Stark's personality also took cues from people like former president Donald Trump and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.