Robert Downey Jr rejects influencers as stars of future, avoids the 'rabbit hole'

Actor Robert Downey Jr. has dismissed the idea that social media influencers are the stars of the future. He said people can now become celebrities without doing much besides pointing a phone at themselves.

In Short

• Robert Downey Jr spoke about online fame and influencer culture
• He said celebrity can now be built by filming oneself
• Downey Jr criticised the idea that influencers are "stars of the future"

Actor Robert Downey Jr reflected on the debate around social media influencers and celebrity, criticising the idea that influencers are the "stars of the future." He said he did not agree with that view and described it as "absolute horses**t."

In an interview with Conversations for our Daughters podcast, Downey Jr said people can now create celebrity "without ever doing much besides rolling a phone on themselves," but added that he does not see that as entirely negative. Instead, he said it reflects a challenge in which "individuation" is being pushed further.

The actor said he hoped a larger section of young people in America would decide that path was not for them. He said he wanted them to 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."

"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, but I think that that is absolute horses**t'," he added.

Downey Jr, who has 58.1 million followers on Instagram, said his own social media following was built largely during his run as Tony Stark, or Iron Man, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He also said that, over the years, he had met several influencers while promoting films and had found many of them to be grounded, accomplished and "genuinely cool people."

Robert Downey Jr on going deep down the rabbit hole

Despite his own large online presence, Downey Jr said he avoids going "too deep down the rabbit hole" because he does not want "to be consumed." He said people often tell him audiences enjoy seeing him appear off the cuff and getting a glimpse into his life, but he feels that would be manufactured for them.

Recalling an earlier moment from his career, he said actor Jon Favreau was tweeting on stage when they brought the teaser for Iron Man to Comic Con, and he saw how audiences were beginning to feel they were "on the steering committee of this thing." He said that was the new landscape.

Downey Jr will next be seen in Avengers Doomsday (2026), co-directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo. The fifth instalment in the Avengers franchise and features the full debut of Doctor Doom, portrayed by Downey Jr, following a cameo in Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Avengers Doomsday also features actors Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Paul Rudd, Florence Pugh, Simu Liu, Tom Hiddleston, Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and others in key roles.

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