--- title: "Robert Downey Jr. Lightly Trashes Elon Musk" description: "Famed \"Iron Man\" actor Robert Downey Jr. had some choice words for SpaceX CEO Elon Musk during a recent podcast appearance." date: "2024-11-01" modified: "2024-11-01" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/robert-downey-jr-lightly-trashes-elon-musk" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "Iron Man" - "the digest" --- # Robert Downey Jr. Lightly Trashes Elon Musk ![Famed "Iron Man" actor Robert Downey Jr. had some choice words for SpaceX CEO Elon Musk during a recent podcast appearance.]() *\Image: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images\* ## Inspir-hatin Famed "Iron Man" actor Robert Downey Jr. had some choice words for SpaceX CEO Elon Musk — even though his most famous role was directly inspired by the billionaire entrepreneur. During a [recent episode]() of journalist Kara Swisher's podcast, Downey Jr. said that he had only met Musk a "few times" and now sometimes cringes at his antics. "As an almost 60-year-old recovering white American male, I just wish that he would control his behavior a little more, but that’s not on me," he added, seemingly referring to Musk's tendency to [further racist conspiracy theories](), [spread disinformation](), and [make personal attacks](). Downey Jr. also took aim at the entrepreneur's continuous promises of making humanity an interplanetary species, an obsession-cum-marketing-strategy that's [drawn criticism from many thinkers](). h But Downey Jr. was overall constrained in his commentary and even willing to give credit where it's due. "I know that this idea of ‘It’s all OK because we’ve gotta get to Mars’ doesn’t really hold water with me," Downey Jr. told Swisher. "But again, you know, you have to look at all that he’s done that demonstrates why he’s valuable." ## Phony Stark Musk made a [brief appearance]() with Downey Jr. in the 2010 blockbuster "Iron Man 2," a scene that shed light on screenwriter Mark Fergus' original inspiration for his portrayal of the superhero. In a [2022 *New York Magazine* interview](), Fergus revealed that Downey Jr.'s role was heavily inspired by Musk, who he described as the "only one who had the fun factor and the celebrity vibe and actual business substance." But now that Musk has tanked his reputation by making hateful comments and [alienating]() many of his once ardent supporters, the situation looks almost unrecognizable. Downey Jr. could've taken aim at any number of shortcomings in Musk's character, nevermind the many [self-inflicted wounds]() and [questionable decisions]() he's made over the last couple of years. Did the Hollywood actor bite his tongue to stay in the good graces of one of the most influential men in the world — or is he willing to gloss over some truly horrifying things Musk has said and done as of late? Interestingly, Downey Jr. has [emerged as a fan favorite pick]() for filmmaker Darren Aronosky's upcoming A24 documentary about Musk's life, based on Walter Isaacson's authorized 2023 biography. However, no official casting has been announced. But we're willing to bet Musk will have strong words when it's revealed who will play him on the big screen. **More on Elon Musk:** *[Elon Musk May Have Made a Huge Mistake on Full Self-Driving That It's Too Late to Correct]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()