RUMOR ALERT: Robert Downey Jr. to join Star Wars?

Robert Downey Jr. already made his mark on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now, rumor has it he’s sliding into another big Disney franchise.

For 11 years across 10 movies, Robert Downey Jr won our hearts as Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His final appearance in the now-iconic role came in 2019, when Tony gave up his life to save the universe in Avengers: Endgame. And although he’s done with Iron Man, there’s a lot of talk that he may switch Disney franchises and visit the galaxy far, far away and become a part of Disney’s burgeoning Star Wars TV universe.

Before we go any further, let’s acknowledge that this is all RUMOR. It got started entertainment industry sleuth Daniel Richtman, who has a decent track record. And then Disney news site Pirates & Princesses published a similar report that included some additional info.

“We do not believe that current and potential talks for RDJ joining Star Wars are of a cameo nature, nor are they for a small role,” reads the Pirates and Princesses report. “At this time, indications given to us are that things are moving towards a major, reoccurring role that may involve work in more than one series and may involve a long-term contract.”

It kinda makes sense that Downey would join the Star Wars franchise. After all, The Mandalorian was created by Jon Favreau, who worked with with Downey Jr. on Iron Man, both as director and as Tony Stark’s best friend Happy Hogan. That movie kick-started the MCU, with Downey Jr. at the center. Will history repeat itself?

The Mandalorian has been a huge hit. There’s a third season on the way, and Downey Jr. is rumored to be a part of it. According to the report, he may even be a candidate to play Grand Admiral Thrawn, a major villain teased in season 2.

In case you were wondering what RDJ would look like as Grand Admiral Thrawn, the fan artists are already on it:

As soon as fans learned about this rumor, they swarmed Twitter to share their throughs. Some like it, others… not so much:

It is still early days at the moment, but the Star Wars rumor mill never stops. Watch this space.

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