Actor Robert Downey Jr and director Alejandro González Iñárritu remain at odds over the artistic value of superhero movies eleven years after a controversial exchange focused on the Mexican filmmaker's mother tongue.
The friction dates back to 2015 when Downey Jr, then the leading star of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Tony Stark, responded to criticism from Iñárritu during an interview with The Guardian while promoting Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Origin of the conflict
The dispute began a year earlier in 2014 during promotional events for Birdman. Speaking to Deadline, Iñárritu said superhero films had become a poison and a cultural genocide. The Mexico City born director also questioned the violence in such movies and argued that many transmitted a right wing political view centered on wealthy, powerful characters who decide who represents evil.
Asked about those remarks, Downey Jr told The Guardian that he respected Iñárritu very much and believed that for a man whose mother tongue was Spanish, being able to construct a phrase like cultural genocide demonstrated how bright he was. The comment was widely viewed as condescending toward Iñárritu and led to accusations of xenophobia.
While the remark did not literally attack the nation of Spain, it singled out Spanish as the director's native language. Because Iñárritu was born in Mexico City, the jab was aimed directly at him, though its phrasing extended the perceived insult to Spanish speakers generally. A representative for Downey Jr later stated that the response was meant as a compliment when taken in the context of the full interview, but the statement failed to quiet the backlash.
Iñárritu addresses the insult
Seven years later in 2022, Iñárritu reflected on the incident during an interview with IndieWire. The director explained that he felt as though he had been told to stay in his place as someone from a banana country. He added that if he were from Denmark or Sweden he might be viewed as a philosopher, but because he is Mexican, expressing such opinions causes people to view him as pretentious.
Downey Jr gained international acclaim as the cornerstone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the highest grossing film franchise in movie history, before concluding his run as Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame. Iñárritu is one of cinema's most prominent contemporary directors, having won consecutive Academy Awards for Directing for Birdman and The Revenant.
Upcoming projects and ongoing debate
The two Hollywood figures never made a public reconciliation. Downey Jr has recently rejoined Marvel to star as the villain Doctor Doom, who will serve as the chief antagonist in Avengers: Doomsday, scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 18.
Iñárritu is set to return to cinemas on October 2 with Digger, a dark comedy featuring an unrecognizable Tom Cruise. Eleven years after their original clash, both men continue to occupy contrasting positions in the film industry, with Downey Jr leading Marvel's biggest upcoming release while Iñárritu releases a new auteur project backed by a major studio.
