Sumith Prasad
Robert Downey Jr. entered the world of cinema at the age of five by appearing in his father and influential independent filmmaker Robert Downey Sr.’s 1970 film ‘Pound.’ Since then, Robert’s career as an actor has been nothing but a rollercoaster. From prison time to becoming the highest-paid actor in the world, his life saga is at times more incredible than the narratives of the films he has been a part of. As an actor, Robert has done it all. He plays Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and has become one of the most recognized faces on the planet.
But it isn’t fair to limit Robert to Iron Man and the Marvel films he has done. He has collaborated with both David Fincher and Christopher Nolan, two of the most talented filmmakers of his generation, to deliver impressive performances in ‘Zodiac’ and ‘Oppenheimer.’ He became Sherlock Holmes for Guy Ritchie’s spectacles. Before all these films, he transformed himself into Richard Attenborough’s interpretation of Charlie Chaplin. Robert’s films always make one wait for his next, and after watching his portrayal of Lewis Strauss in ‘Oppenheimer,’ our readers may want to know what to expect from him in the future. Here’s the list of all new and upcoming movies and TV shows of Robert Downey Jr.
1. Avengers: Doomsday (2026) & Avengers: Secret Wars (2027)
Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU as the villainous Doctor Doom. ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is in its pre-production stage and will feature Downey as Doom alongside Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm / Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm / Thing, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm / Human Torch, and Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic.
‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ will add Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, Benedict Wong as Wong, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Captain America, Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel, and Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams/ Ironheart to the mix. Both films have been written by Stephen McFeely and will be directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo. ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ will be released on May 1, 2026, and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ will be released on May 7, 2027.
2. Sherlock Holmes 3 (TBA)
‘Sherlock Holmes 3,’ the third installment in the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ franchise launched by Guy Ritchie, has been developing for over a decade. The film even had a release date of December 2021, but the cameras never started rolling for the project. After a point, even director Dexter Fletcher (‘Rocketman’ and ‘Ghosted’) admitted that the film is “on the back burner.” Having said that, the admirers of Robert’s interpretation of the timeless character may not need to lose hope. Susan Downey, the actor’s wife and producing partner, recently clarified that the film hasn’t gotten shelved.
“So yes, it [‘Sherlock Holmes 3’] is in the hopper. We’re going to do it when it’s right, with the right people, but it is a priority for the company and a priority for Robert,” Susan revealed while talking on ‘UnWrapped.’ As per Ritchie, who directed the franchise’s first two films, the film’s fate depends upon Robert. “Well, honestly, I left this [‘Sherlock Holmes 3’] up to Robert. So Robert wanted to be in charge of this. The ball’s in his court, so he’s in charge of the script, he’s in charge of the whole thing. I’ve moonwalked out of that until there’s a time for me to get involved,” the filmmaker told Collider. Eddie Marsan as Inspector Lestrade and Jared Harris as Professor James Moriarty are also expected to be back. The film is in its pre-production stage, and we hope it will start filming soon.
3. Untitled Vertigo Remake (TBA)
Paramount seems to be remaking Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 classic psychological thriller “Vertigo,” with Robert Downey Jr playing the lead role of John “Scottie” Ferguson, who was played by James Stewart in the original. It is based on the 1954 novel “D’entre les morts” (From Among the Dead) by Boileau-Narcejac which is the pen name for the writing duo Pierrer Bolieau and Pierre Ayraud.
The film centers on John, a San Francisco police detective whose vertigo, underscored by his fear of heights, has forced him into retirement. But when John is hired by a peer to tail the latter’s wife, Madeleine, he gets obsessed with the woman but is unable to save her as she jumps to her death. As his mental state worsens, he comes across another woman who reminds him of Madeleine. Is it really her? ‘Vertigo’ is Hitchcock at his best along with his writers Alec Coppel and Samuel Taylor, and it waits to be seen which director is roped in to pay homage to one of the greatest filmmakers to have ever lived.
Meanwhile, Steven Knight has been brought in to adapt the script again. Robert and his wife, Susan Downey, will be producing as well via Team Downey Productions. Other than Robert, no other cast member has been revealed, and we have yet to get any update about production and a potential year of release.
4. Singularity (TBA)
Robert Downey Jr. is teaming up with Anthony Michael Hall for a series called ‘Singularity.’ Hall, in an interview with Business Insider, stated that Downey intends to direct the first episode, thereby making his debut as a director. The plot is under wraps but we do know that Hall has been cast. More details, especially about the plot of this intriguing project, are awaited.
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