Robert Downey Jr.’s new look has fans asking him to play a famous comic book villain

The name Robert Downey Jr. pretty much goes hand in hand with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although he does not continue to be active in this franchise, the actor was one of the main faces of Marvel Studios for 11 years for having played Tony Stark from 2008 to 2019, from ‘Iron Man’ to ‘Avengers: Endgame’. Regardless of a career closely linked to this saga, a new topic of conversation has emerged on social networks in which the actor is related to the other great universe of superheroes: DC. It’s not a theory, an official news or a rumor, it’s simply that, following RDJ’s new look, whoever shaved his hair, Several DC fans have seen the actor bear a great resemblance to one of DC’s great villains, Lex Luthor, and have expressed the desire for Robert Downey Jr. to play him in a possible new adaptation of the character to the audiovisual format.

I just heard from someone #fancasts bald RDJ as the new Lex Luthor and I know THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN! pic.twitter.com/n92rz8KxTE

? Drew Whipple (@dwhipart) November 22, 2022

After the photos with the new look went viral, many people on social networks joined the debate about RDJ’s role as Lex Luthor, some people sharing their discontent with the idea and many others hoping that it could happen in future. This super-villain is a power-obsessed business tycoon who frees the world from Superman. He is one of Clark Kent’s most famous antagonists, but being such a serious threat he has also had run-ins with other great DC characters like Batman. Luthor does not possess superhuman powers, but his high intellect and wealth, and his mechanized armor that grants him strength, flight, advanced weaponry, and other capabilities make him quite a challenge.

While Downey Jr. was one of the MCU’s most prominent players, it wouldn’t be impossible to see him at some point in the DC Universe. Several actors and actresses have been part of both universes such as Christian Bale, Ryan Reynolds or Halle Berry. To prove that one can have an important and enduring role in both franchises, there is no better case than that of James Gunn, a director and screenwriter who was active in both simultaneously, working on the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ trilogy for the Marvel and in ‘The Suicide Squad’ and ‘The Peacemaker’ at DC. As if that weren’t enough, reached top power at DC while working on ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3’ becoming the new president of DC Studios. As important as Iron Man was to Marvel Studios, Gunn is a clear example that the actor could enjoy great importance at DC without problems.

Why did he shave?

Robert Downey Jr. shaved his head for a role in ‘The Sympathizer,’ a series adapting Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. The project is described as a satire on the challenges of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy living through the last days of the Vietnam War and in exile in the United States. Robert Downey Jr. will play different roles in which each of them will represent a different member of the US power society. ‘The Sympathizer,’ a collaboration between A24, HBO and Rhombus Media, is directed by Park Chan-Wook and is slated to premiere in 2023 on HBO Max.