Robert Downey Jr. slams influencer fame as 'stars of the future': 'Don’t know what world you’re living in'
The actor said people can become celebrities without doing much
Robert Downey Jr. has waded into the long-running debate about whether social media influencers belong in the same bracket as traditional film stars and he didn’t exactly hold back.
Speaking on the Conversations for our Daughters podcast, the Hollywood actor took aim at the idea that influencers are the 'stars of the future,' dismissing the notion in characteristically blunt terms.
Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.
Robert Downey Jr., who will next be seen in Avengers: Doomsday, suggested that modern fame is now easier to manufacture than ever.
“Nowadays people can create celebrity without ever doing much besides rolling a phone on themselves,” he said, adding that he doesn’t see it as inherently negative, but more as a shift that challenges how people define individuality.
He went on to express hope that younger audiences would choose more traditional paths of creation and self-development. “Hopefully the (larger) part of the youth of let’s just call it America for locality’s sake is going say, ‘Yeah, but that’s not my thing. I want to go do something, I’m going to make something, I want to build something, I want to educate myself’,” he said.
He dismissed the idea that social media influencers will become the dominant stars of the future, saying he doesn’t agree with that outlook and questioning the mindset behind it. "When I hear people talk about, ‘Oh, the stars of the future are going to be influencers,’ I go, ‘I don’t know what world you’re living in," he said.
Ironically, Downey Jr. is no stranger to digital stardom himself. His Instagram account has amassed 58.1 million followers, largely built during his long run as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He also acknowledged that not all influencers fit the stereotype, noting that many he’s met while promoting films have been “grounded, accomplished, and genuinely cool people.”
Despite his massive online following, he admitted he deliberately avoids getting too absorbed in social media. “I don’t want to be consumed,” he said, explaining that even behind-the-scenes glimpses shared online can feel “manufactured.”
He added: “This is the new hue where the audience is going to feel like they’re on the steering committee of this thing… Ok, so that’s the new landscape.”
Downey Jr. will return to the Marvel universe in Avengers: Doomsday, this time stepping away from Iron Man to play Victor Von Doom, better known as Doctor Doom. The film is being directed by Joe and Anthony Russo.
His casting as the antagonist was first revealed at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024. While the Infinity Saga centred on Thanos (played by Josh Brolin), Doomsday is expected to pivot around Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom as the next major threat to the MCU.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to release on December 18, the same day as Warner Bros’ sci-fi sequel Dune 3.
