Robert Downey Jr. made headlines earlier this month when he revealed that he first met his “Oppenheimer” director Christopher Nolan again within the early 2000s to be probably forged because the villain Scarecrow within the director’s 2005 superhero tentpole “Batman Begins.” Downey mentioned Nolan wasn’t too all for casting him, which Nolan absolutely admitted in a current interview with the actor for The New York Instances.

“I 100% knew you weren’t the man [for Scarecrow],” mentioned Nolan, who ultimately forged his “Oppenheimer” main man Cillian Murphy because the Batman villain. “In my head that was already forged. However I at all times wished to satisfy you … I used to be an enormous admirer of yours and subsequently selfishly simply wished to take the assembly. However I used to be additionally a bit afraid of you, you understand. I had heard all types of tales about the way you had been loopy. It was only some years after the final of these tales that had come out about you.”

Nolan and Downey’s first assembly was nicely earlier than Marvel forged the actor as Iron Man, which led to Downey’s profession being revitalized after a sequence of authorized troubles by way of the flip of the century. The actor was arrested in 1996 for possession of heroin, cocaine and an unloaded gun and given three years of probation. He was then jailed for practically 4 months a 12 months later after skipping a court-ordered drug take a look at. He skipped one other take a look at in 1999 and was sentenced to a few years in jail. Downey served 15 months, then was arrested once more 4 months after his launch for drug possession.

Downey’s historical past with the legislation made him a tricky promote to Marvel for the career-defining position of Tony Stark. He was former Marvel Studios’ president David Maisel’s high choose, however “my board thought I used to be loopy to place the way forward for the corporate within the arms of an addict.”

“I helped them perceive how nice he was for the position,” Maisel mentioned final 12 months. “All of us had confidence that he was clear and would keep clear.” 

Nolan mentioned on “The Late Present” earlier this month that Downey “enjoying Iron Man is among the most consequential casting choices that’s ever been made within the historical past of the film enterprise.” He doubled down on this opinion throughout his chat for The New York Instances.

“The reality is, I feel Jon Favreau casting Robert as Tony Stark is considered one of the most vital and consequential casting choices in Hollywood historical past. It wound up defining our business,” Nolan mentioned when requested about how he received over his preliminary worries about Downey. “Popping out of COVID, you say, ‘Thank God for Marvel films.’ And it’s a type of the place, looking back, everyone thinks it was apparent. However he took an unlimited danger casting [Robert] in that position.”

Nolan would go on to forged Downey as Lewis Strauss in “Oppenheimer,” a task that has already nabbed Downey finest supporting actor prizes from the Critics’ Selection Awards and Golden Globes. He’s extensively thought of the frontrunner to win the Oscar.

“You’re at all times seeking to work with nice actors, however you’re additionally seeking to catch them in a second of their lives and careers the place you’ve received one thing to supply them that they haven’t performed earlier than, or haven’t performed in a very long time,” Nolan mentioned about casting Downey. “I simply actually wished to see this unbelievable film star put down all of that baggage, that charisma, and simply lose himself in a dramatic portrayal of a really sophisticated man. I at all times wished to work with him, actually. As soon as I finished being afraid of him.”

Head over to The New York Instances’ web site to learn Nolan and Downey’s joint interview in its entirety.