At one time long ago, Robert Downey Jr. and Charlize Theron were tossed around as the potential leads in Paul Thomas Anderson‘s "Inherent Vice." It’s an interesting what-if to consider, but according to Iron Man himself, it was never really in the cards.
"I’m really fortunate that, first and foremost, I’m friends with PTA. And he is so much more than a filmmaker. He’s just someone that you go, ‘If I could spend a big chunk of every day with this guy, then I’d be a better person.’ So, that’s great. He and my dad are pals," he told Grantland about his relationship with the filmmaker. But when it comes to "Inherent Vice" he makes it clear the gig was not his from the start and that Joaquin Phoenix was always the man for the job.
"(a) Nobody should have done that movie besides him, and (b) Paul was never really thinking about me for it, and it’s not because he’s cryptic," he said. "It’s because they have a Scorsese–De Niro thing. At this point, I’d be happy to offer Mr. Anderson any and every film I do from now on. I love watching what they do."
Meanwhile, "Avengers: Age Of Ultron" detonates in cinemas this weekend, and it will mark the final hurrah for Joss Whedon in the Marvel fold. And RDJ understands perfectly why the producer/director/guru is ready to bow out. “I wasn’t surprised because there was so much onus on can ‘Ultron’ be as good as ‘Avengers Assemble’?” he told EW. “I just think it takes so much out of the men and women who are behind the major workload that occurs over a 24-month period, at best, to get one of these movies done. It’s backbreaking.”
Makes sense to us. And now, here’s RDJ trying to explain "Captain America: Civil War" to David Letterman. It’s pretty great.
I have to disagree with the above comment. The character fit Joaquin perfectly.
I remember when Downey was at the cinefamily two or three years or so ago, he mentioned that he and PTA were "talking about doing Inherent Vice but also talking about doing other things." So I think there was definitely a conversation about it, regardless of how offhand it might have been. Personally I think it would have been much better film with him in the lead.