Robert Downey Jr. may be an Oscar-nominated actor for performances in Chaplin and Tropic Thunder, but he holds his MCU performances in high regard.

In fact, the former Tony Stark/Iron Man actor believes his MCU performances go “unnoticed.” He recently opened up to Rob Lowe on his Literally! podcast.

“Unnoticed” performances

Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man in MCU next to Rob Lowe with movie theater background.

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During his chat with Lowe, Downey revealed that he felt “exposed” being in the “cocoon of Marvel.” This resulted in his performances as Tony Stark/Iron Man went “unnoticed.” The stigma against the superhero movie genre also didn't help.

“I felt so exposed after being in the cocoon of Marvel where I think I did some of the best work I will ever do, but it went a little bit unnoticed because of the genre,” Downey said. “[I] did myself a favor, because the rug was pulled so definitively out from underneath [of] me and all [of] the things that I was leaning on as opposed to what my understanding of confidence and security was, boy did they evaporate. And it rendered me teachable.”

Beginning in 2008, Downey was the face of the MCU. Iron Man was the inaugural film in the franchise and Downey would continue playing the part in two solo films, four Avengers team-up films, and several other appearances in the likes of Captain America: Civil War.

Robert Downey Jr. is an Oscar-nominated actor known for his roles in Zodiac, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes series. Since his MCU leave, Downey has starred in the likes of Dolittle and Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer.