Top 20 Unscripted Robert Downey Jr. Moments That Were Left In The Movie

Top 20 Unscripted Robert Downey Jr. Moments That Were Left in the Movie

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best reportedly improvised moments by Robert Downey Jr. that made the final cut.

#20: The Surgical Mask
“Iron Man 2” (2010)
Tony Stark can’t afford to get sick. He’s got too much on his plate. So when he notices Pepper Potts sniffling, he points it out. This medical suggestion was reportedly all Robert Downey Jr.'s doing. On the day this scene was shot, co-star Gwyneth Paltrow was sick. On the spot, RDJ effectively blended the actress’ real-life state with the character she was portraying. That’s what we call expert improvisation. Because the ad-lib was so on-schedule and on-point within the context of the scene, it made sense to keep it in the movie.

#19: Passing Wind
“Dolittle” (2020)
RDJ joined the animal party as Dr. Dolittle in the 2020 film adaptation. During one scene in particular, Downey Jr.’s Dolittle tries to help a dragon as various other animals watch. Co-star Harry Collett hinted that one moment during this scene wasn’t scripted. It came after the dragon passed gas. Collett’s comments in the interview lead us to believe that not only did he improvise here, but RDJ did as well. Dolittle’s reaction to the stench is quite humorous. Spending all that time with so many animals around, one would think that from time to time he would experience what he does in this scene.

#18: Australian Accent
“Natural Born Killers” (1994)
Journalist Wayne Gale wasn’t originally scripted to have an Australian accent in the film “Natural Born Killers.” But Robert Downey Jr. had other ideas. In this role, RDJ portrays a self-centered reporter and television show host. His character embodies the darker aspects of the media in this dark crime film. So why did RDJ decide to go with an Australian accent in this movie? Well, after spending time with a controversial Australian TV personality, RDJ was convinced it would be a good idea to use an Australian accent for the role. He then convinced director Oliver Stone.

#17: Stark & Stane Conversation
“Iron Man” (2008)
Obadiah Stane, a.k.a Iron Monger, is the antagonist and business partner turned enemy of Tony Stark in the first “Iron Man” movie. The role was performed by Jeff Bridges. According to Bridges himself in an interview with Vanity Fair, filming the movie involved devising a fair share of unscripted lines alongside Robert Downey Jr. The two were clearly up for the challenge. Just check out this scene of Stane confessing his betrayal of Stark. While their characters became divided, there’s no denying that Bridges and RDJ proved their impressive chemistry with a lack of script material.

#16: “Liar”
“Avengers: Endgame” (2019)
One word can be powerful if you use it right. Robert Downey Jr. can certainly make that evident. Not only that, but it doesn’t even have to be a part of the script. According to “Avengers: Endgame” co-director Anthony Russo, RDJ sprinkled in a word on his own during an intense interaction with Captain America. That word was “liar.” This is an instance where it’s not simply the word used in the ad-lib that made it absolutely worth keeping in the movie. The tone of Downey Jr.’s voice and even the hand movements were expertly executed, capturing the optimal amount of emotion given the scene’s context.

#15: Harry Lockhart
“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” (2005)
Co-stars can attest to Robert Downey Jr.’s improvisational brilliance. Michelle Monaghan, who worked with him on “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” was asked about improvising with him. Her answer included a great story of an on-set experience. It’s awesome that RDJ just felt like winging it. It’s even more awesome that Monaghan agreed to do so. It was very early on in the actress’ career when she played the role of Harmony alongside Downey Jr.’s Harry Lockhart. We think she did the right thing soaking up RDJ’s advice like a sponge and following his lead. Based on her interview comments, it seems like part of the co-stars’ improvisation during this bedroom spider scene made the final cut.

#14: Shakespeare in the Park
“The Avengers” (2012)
How dost thou so brilliantly execute these lines, Master Robert? Iron Man added a comical, unique flavor of Shakespeare during a fight scene with Thor in “The Avengers.” He really got him with that one. In director Joss Whedon’s Avengers DVD Commentary, Whedon discussed the Shakespeare in the Park bit. It was something he brought up to RDJ earlier in the day before the scene was shot. RDJ took the suggestion and ran with it, going a step further than what Whedon had in mind. Give RDJ a good idea and he can make it most excellent!

#13: Letting Peter Parker Know Who’s Boss
“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)
They call him Spider-Man, but RDJ views Tom Holland’s character more like a ‘Spider-Boy.’ That’s evident on multiple occasions throughout “Avengers: Infinity War.” In one particularly notable instance, Iron Man puts his young superhero companion in his place during a conversation with Dr. Strange. Apparently, this witty “the adults are talking” line wasn’t a part of the script. Holland discussed the scene during a fan Q&A. RDJ was able to integrate this ad-lib to perfection, encapsulating the unfavorable circumstances in which the characters find themselves in, as well as the relationship dynamics between Tony Stark and Peter Parker.

#12: Secret Handshake
“Weird Science” (1985)
Playing a high school bully alongside his namesake Robert Rusler, Robert Downey Jr. was involved in one the most memorable scenes in the movie “Weird Science.” The two are at the mall when Rusler’s character Max pours his red slushie over the railing. As planned, it spills all over the movie’s protagonists, Gary and Wyatt. Right before this, the tormentors do some kind of a handshake. First of all, this just makes us realize there are countless possible iterations of handshakes. This one, however, was not in the script. The Roberts decided to do it on the spot.

#11: Drunk Tony
“Iron Man 2” (2010)
Perhaps Tony Stark had one too many at his birthday party in “Iron Man 2.” But, what the heck, he’s Tony Stark, and it is his birthday party after all. Things really go off the rails when Rhodey arrives with bad intentions. After party guests evacuate the room, Stark cracks up while saying something to the DJ. This hilarious line was improvised. Who knows whether Downey Jr. meant to laugh as well, but if he did, hats off to him. The ad-lib along with the laughter aligned exceptionally well with Stark’s drunk state during the scene.

#10: Just Getting the Door…
"Spider-Man: Homecoming" (2017)
When the trailer for the first Marvel Studios produced Spider-Man solo outing dropped - aptly named “Homecoming” - in addition to the promise of more web-slinging antics, we were treated to a laugh or two via Stark and Parker’s banter. In particular, there’s the moment where Peter reciprocates a hug, only to find Tony is getting the car door for him. It’s a micro scene that defines the relationship between both characters extremely succinctly, and left viewers wanting more. Yet––according to Spider-Man himself, Tom Holland ––it was completely off script, as was much of the scene between the two. Their riffing off each other is a running dynamic between the two actors, and a lesson to many up-and-comers.

#9: Improvisation, My Dear Watson
"Sherlock Holmes" franchise (2009-)
According to Arthur Conan Doyle, if you eliminate the script, all that remains, however improvised, must be the movie… okay, so we actually RDJ’d that particular quote. We’re not pinpointing an exact moment here, since ad-libbing was such a big part of the production. Meanwhile, the witty repartee and naturalistic comedy between Holmes and Watson in the Guy Richie-directed franchise is a testament to two main factors––the real-life friendship between Downey Jr. and co-star Jude Law, as well as the spontaneity of the leading man on-set. According to Downey Jr. improvisation on set is “a democracy in the truest and most frustrating and most rewarding sense of the word.” Moriarty actor Jared Harris reportedly had to adjust to the loose use of the script as “an exercise in trial by fire.” It paid off––the scenes between the two nemeses are electric.

#8: Calling an Audible
"Captain America: Civil War" (2016)
When Tom Holland was announced as the new Spider-Man, replacing Andrew Garfield after less than two years off-screen, fans were eager to see how the young actor would fit––especially with a cast that was already brimming with established stars. Holland, at the time gaining a rather firm step into Hollywood, but still relatively unknown, was paired with the veteran RDJ. During the initial encounter between Tony Stark and Peter Parker, the former tells the young super-hero to “move the leg” so he can sit down. Typical. Though we love him, Stark can be arrogant, and this is just another indication of that, right? Except, it was more that Holland forgot his blocking, so RDJ corrected him both in character and as an actor, then continued the scene.

#7: "Blueberry?"
"The Avengers" (2012)
Tony Stark loves his food––whether it’s cheeseburgers in Iron Man 1, donuts in Iron Man 2, or blueberries on the Helicarrier in The Avengers. The last one, however, gains a distinction by being less of a character choice and more of an actor being mischievous. The moment where Stark offers his fellow Avenger a blueberry was not in the script, nor was the act of even eating them. Apparently, RDJ was simply hungry, and managed to smuggle a packet of fruit on set and hide them in the elaborate lab design. Then, as cameras rolled, he tucked in––and since it seemed like such a Tony Stark thing to do, it remained in the film.

#6: "I Love You 3000"
"Avengers: Endgame" (2019)
We have to address it, the moment that broke everyone’s hearts––”I love you 3000.” Yes, there are rumors about much deeper meanings relating to the overall runtime of Marvel movies… but that’s just a coincidence. During Avengers: Endgame, whilst Tony puts Morgan to bed, he tells her that “he loves her tons” - which is how it was written in the screenplay. The same script was supposed to have Morgan say the same in return. However, to add a little naturalness into the scene, Downey Jr. suggested the new line based on how his own children reply to him in real life. The result is an amusing exchange between Pepper and Tony in the following scene, a finale line and floods of tears...

#5: "Peek-a-Boo! I See You…"
"Tropic Thunder" (2008)
Just like much of the rest of the movie they’re filming in the action comedy, the real-life actors of Tropic Thunder took a lot of liberties with the script––so much so that to describe the screenplay as anything more than a general set of scenarios might be going somewhat overboard. Robert Downey Jr’s Kirk Lazarus is probably a character that movie-goers will never see the likes of again. He’s an American actor playing a white Australian actor who surgically alters himself to look like his on-screen Black counterpart, in a parody of actors who take themselves and their method far too seriously - all directed by Ben Stiller. There was lots of unscripted material, but chief among them is this line from Robert Downey Jr. Beyond the improvised one-liner, and diving forward roll, the accent is completely hilarious.

#4: The Secret Door
"Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015)
While it’s common knowledge that the Iron Man actor is encouraged to be fast and loose with the Marvel movie scripts, this entry marks an instance where a change had to be made in post-production. The bulk of the line “please be a secret door” was, by all accounts, purely RDJ’s on-set creation of making even the mundane action of finding a hidden door, look rather amusing. Meanwhile, the little gleeful “yay” that follows came at the suggestion of Age of Ultron’s executive producer Jeremy Latcham and was inserted into the film as part of the edit. That little moment has since re-appeared as part of memes worldwide.

#3: Creating a New Scene: The “Galaga” Guy
"The Avengers" (2012)
We’ve already talked about a scene that required an additional line of dialogue being added after principal photography concluded. This particular improvised bit from “The Avengers” however didn’t need a new line recorded; it instead required some special effects work to allow a small unscripted moment to make it into the film. Upon entering the Helicarrier bridge, Tony Stark points to a SHIELD worker and remarks that he is playing Galaga. This is an old arcade game where you must defend humanity from attacking aliens… wait a minute… So not only did RDJ’s off-hand reference reflect the film’s final battle, but also director Joss Whedon thought the line worked so well that they put in visuals from the actual Galaga game in post-production.

#2: Creating Another New Scene: Shawarma
“The Avengers”(2012)
American restaurants featuring Middle Eastern cuisine have Robert Downey Jr. to thank for the rise in popularity of Shawarma in the 2010s, while audiences also have him to thank for the second post-credits scene of “The Avengers.” This beloved sequence sees the gang silently eating the dish after the battle of New York is over. But it wouldn’t have happened without some earlier scene rewrites. According to the original script, there was just one line of dialogue written for Stark to say after the battle is over before things all quickly move on. Both RDJ and the director thought it could be improved though, so Whedon came up with a few extra ideas. RDJ ultimately went with these off-script lines. After telling the group that they should “just not come in tomorrow”, Stark suggests they all go for shawarma, despite his not knowing what it is.

#1: "I Am Iron Man…"
"Iron Man" (2008) & "Avengers: Endgame” (2019)
Those famous four words that started it all off––”I am Iron Man.” With that, the MCU was born. The line is synonymous with Tony Stark’s journey, not just in one movie, but across all Marvel productions since. It also encouraged the other writers and directors to take liberties with the characters as they had been previously presented in the comics. The line means many things, but it takes the number one spot in this list for what it wasn’t––written. Much of the first Iron Man was allegedly improvised. As a result, Robert Downey Jr’s playful remark concluding the movie was so fresh that it became Tony Stark’s catchphrase. It also led to a reshoot during the editing of Avengers: Endgame that saw the cast and crew film the scene so that the line would be included as the character’s last live words.

Let us know in the comments which of RDJ’s ad-libs is your favorite!