We have an Iron Man. Robert Downey Jr. will play Tony Stark in Jon Favreau’s film about my favorite super hero.

At his MySpace Iron Man Movie Group, director Jon Favreau wrote as the news was breaking:

“It is true. Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark. I am about as excited as I can be. I saw what he can do and he is extremely enthusiastic about playing Stark. I can say with absolute certainty that there is no better choice. The humor and emotional dimension he brings truly raises the bar on this project. Get ready.”

I have a hard time thinking about RD Jr. as a super hero, let alone a powerful one like Iron Man. But I also thought the same about Tobey Maguire and Spiderman.

I was thinking more along the lines Leonardo DiCaprio or maybe Matt Damon–someone younger. I can’t envision RD Jr. flying around saving the world. A colleague just mentioned how he wonders if RD Jr. can carry an entire film as the lead. That’s an excellent question. I’m still very much looking forward to it.

Technorati tags: Iron Man / Jon Favreau / Robert Downey Jr. / Marvel

Hat Tip: Valued reader PV