Robert Downey Jr.'s Journey to a Potential Oscar Win

The Road to Recognition

The 2024 Academy Awards could present an opportunity for Robert Downey Jr. to ironically avenge his notable Oscar loss to a Christopher Nolan film. Since his final appearance in his arguably career-defining role as Tony Stark/Iron Man as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Downey Jr. has since taken on two roles starring in major feature films. 2020's Dolittle was Downey Jr.'s immediate follow-up to his heroic final bow in 2019's Avengers: Endgame, which ultimately turned out to be a bomb at the box office.

Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr in the jungle in Tropic Thunder

Robert Downey Jr.'s next and most recent film, Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, has placed him in serious contention at the upcoming Oscars on March 10, 2024. Although RBJ arguably deserved an Oscar nomination for the sheer impact that his Tony Stark/Iron Man character has on the international film market ever since the MCU was born with Jon Favreau's 2008 Iron Man, he was never considered for that part. With an acting career spanning more than five decades, Downey Jr. has received a total of two Oscar nominations including Best Actor in Chaplin (1992) and Best Supporting Actor in Tropic Thunder (2008).

Robert Downey Jr as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer.

The Legacy of a Storied Career

Although Robert Downey Jr. was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2009, he lost to Health Ledger's phenomenal performance as the Joker in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. Ledger's Joker remains one of the most celebrated portrayals by any cinematic actor in the 21st century and even can be considered one of the best performances in film history, making it completely understandable how stiff the competition was that year for Downey Jr. Had Tropic Thunder come out in another year, Downey Jr. might have had a better chance but that was not the case at the highly competitive 2009 Academy Awards.

William King Hale (Robert De Niro) sneering at someone in the crowd in Killers of the Flower Moon

Considering Robert Downey Jr's effect on Hollywood and the international world of entertainment, it would be fitting for him to receive an Oscar even if it wasn't necessarily for the role he is most famous for. His portrayal as the slimy and self-interested Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer elevated him to the top of the leader board in most likely 2024 Oscar winners for Best Supporting Actor. It's ironic how the very director who helped inspire Heath Ledger's legendary Oscar win has now guided Downey Jr. back into a place of contention after fifteen years, which is also a testament to Nolan's mastery of his craft.

The Race to Oscar Glory

With the outstanding performance by Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, it's safe to say at this point that the race for the 2024 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor is between him and Robert Downey Jr for Oppenheimer. De Niro, in his tenth feature film collaboration with Scorsese, portrays the sinister and greedy William Hale in the 3 and a half hour epic movie. Early betting odds on the Oscars race place De Niro slightly ahead of Downey Jr. at this time by a very slight margin, although both actors are essentially neck in neck, making both of the remarkable actors heavy favorites.

Other possible contenders for the 2024 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor include John Magaro in Past Lives, Ryan Gosling in Barbie, Chris Messina in Air, Matt Bomer in Maestro, and Willem Dafoe in Poor Things. It will be impossible to have an accurate grasp on all the potential nominees for the Best Supporting Actor 2023 Oscar until the rest of the highly-anticipated movies come out during award season. However, Robert Downey Jr. has one of, if not the, best shot at taking home the award for his spectacular work in the Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, which would mark his first career Oscar win.