Robert Downey Jr Birthday Special: 'Oppenheimer' To 'Tropic Thunder' - 5 Movies Which Prove He's Much More Than Just 'Ironman'

The very beginning of Marvel Cinematic Universe was helmed by no one other than 'Ironman' portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. Considered as one of the iconic superhero characters of all the time, Robert Downey Jr, breathed life to it. Whenever there is a mention of a superhero no one can forget Ironman and that is the kind of dedication and memorable portrayal Robert associated with the role. The perseverance took the MCU on their decade long-run around the 'Avengers' series.

From 2008-2019 ran the 'Avengers' series featuring Tony Stark aka Ironman as one of the main characters, making every child to every adult a fan of his impeccable embodiment of the superhero and his acting skills. So much so that when Ironman died in 'Avengers: Endgame', there was no one in the theatre who didn't have tears in their eyes. From giving us iconic lines like 'I love you 3000' to making his way into our hearts, Robert Downey Jr, did a full justice to the character.

However, there is much more to the actor than just being the Ironman. He has given his 'Ironman' touch to some strong and unique characters before and after being cast the the superhero in the MCU. On the occasion of Robert Downey Jr's 59th birthday lets shade some light on his portrayals, other than the Ironman, that you shouldn't miss. Here are his 5 films that should be on your watchlist:

Robert Downey Jr and his close race to winning an Oscar is an old-story, but it finally turned true as he grabbed his first ever Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for 'Oppenheimer'. Based on the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, creator of the atomic bomb, Robert Downey Jr essayed the role of Admiral Lewis Strauss.

The character can be deemed as the second lead in the movie, but the real kudos go to Downey Jr for taking up a non-conventional role in a more or less a negative light. Admiral Strauss makes it his mission to strip Oppenheimer of his security clearance, labelling him as a communist and degrading the physicist after they reach a non-agreement over making of a hydrogen bomb.

The movie is a must-watch for all Robert Downey Jr fans to see the actor bring life to one of the most unique character he has ever played on-screen. 'Oppenheimer' is available to stream on JioCinema and it stars Cillian Murphy, Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt and others.

We have seen shades of Robert Downey Jr as 'Ironman'. But this emotional courtroom drama is a testimony of Robert's capacity as an actor. Essaying the role of a lawyer (Hank Palmer) who often represents guilty people, he has much more to him than he shows. The movie is a turmoil of a son trying to get his fathers validation.

As the movie proceeds we see the father (a judge) arrested for a murder and Hank trying to defend him. You shouldn't miss 'The Judge' and a beautiful emotion-filled performance of Robert Downey Jr.

The other cast includes Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton and Dax Shepard. 'The Judge' is available on JioCinema.

Okay here is yet another iconic character than has always been a fan-favourite. But Robert Downey Jr just adds his own much-needed spin and also manages to embody the exact confidence Sherlock Holmes would have.

While Sherlock and Dr Watson are rejoicing the death of wanted Lord Blackwood, the plot twists when the villian is back mysteriously and goes on a hunting spree. The movie then spirals down the efforts of Sherlock and Watson to stop the serial killer while balancing their personal lives and betrayals.

The detective portrayal of Robert Downey Jr is surely a delight to watch and you should definitely put it on your must-watch list if you haven't watched it already. It is streaming on Prime Video and the cast includes Jude Law and Rachel McAdams.

Playing the role of a notorious method-actor who went 'pigmentation alteration' to play the role of a blackman, Robert Downey Jr surpasses all the expectations. The transformation of the actor and the commitment to the character of Kirk Lazarus is something no one should miss. The performance got him a nomination at the Oscars for Best Supporting Actor.

The film is about a wannabe filmmaker who gets together a cast for a war veteran 'Four Leaf' Tayback's memoirs based film. To make the movie the very best and establish himself as a serious filmmaker he puts the actors including Kirk in a Vietnamese jungle for a touch of realism. However, what comes next is a journey of self-discovery for all of them as they find themselves at a real war with Flaming Dragons, a deadly gang who governs the jungle area.

The cast includes Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Jeff Kahn and more. The movie is available on JioCinema.

Coming as one of his most underrated performance released just before he brought in the 'Ironman' storm, Robert Downey Jr as reporter Paul Avery is a dream to watch. He fits the role and depicts the downwash of the character buy alcohol addiction in a smooth and realistic manner.

'Zodiac' is a movie based on real-life serial killer that threatened North Carolina back in 1970s. The unique characteristic of the murderer is that they send in ciphers about the hints of their victims to the news reporters. The movie then captures how the cartoonist-turned-detective Robert Graysmith and Paul Avery go behind the killer to end the deadly killing spree. The to-and-fro between the two leads is a sheer must-watch in the film as they balance out the contrasts of their roles perfectly.

The cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Edwards. It is streaming on Prime Video.

Here's wishing the 'Ironman' of acting Robert Downey Jr a happy birthday!

Go grab on your popcorn and enjoy these must-watches now!