New York: Robert Downey Jr., best known for his iconic portrayal of Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), has voiced concerns over AI technology being used to replicate his likeness as Tony Stark. He firmly stated that he would instruct his legal team to pursue lawsuits against any future executives attempting to create digital replicas of him using AI, even after his passing.
In a recent episode of the On With Kara Swisher podcast, Swisher brought up the possibility that “future executives” might attempt to recreate his likeness using AI after he is gone. Downey Jr. responded by cautioning such executives that his legal team would remain actively vigilant on this issue. “I would like to here state that I intend to sue all future executives just on spec,” he stated emphatically.
Expanding on his position, Downey shared that he has no desire to see his likeness digitally reproduced, particularly in his role as Iron Man. He noted, “I am not worried about them hijacking my character’s soul because there’s like three or four guys and gals who make all the decisions there anyway and they would never do that to me, with or without me.”
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The actor’s stance comes amid heightened concern in the entertainment industry regarding AI technology and its implications for performers. Leaders from the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) have underscored AI’s role in an ongoing labor dispute, referring to it as an existential threat to actors and performers. SAG-AFTRA has been vocal about performers’ rights, and, according to a report of a Indian Media outlet, a SAG-AFTRA spokesperson noted that Downey holds legal rights under California law to prevent any use of his digital likeness in films without explicit consent, even posthumously.
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Downey Jr., a revered actor in Hollywood, recently garnered an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Oppenheimer. He portrayed Iron Man across the MCU for 11 years, a role that cemented his place as one of the industry’s most influential figures. Fans, however, can expect him to return to the MCU, not as Tony Stark but in a new, dynamic role as the antagonist Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, where he will face off against Earth’s mightiest heroes.
