Robert Downey Jr. was injured on the set of Iron Man 3, and according to his co-star Guy Pearce, he did it in a very Tony Stark way. Downey led the very first MCU, Iron Man, in 2008, making him the original Avenger. Though he hasn't starred in a solo film as the character since 2013, Downey's appeared in all four Avengers movies. He also played a substantial role in both Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming. Downey's performance as Iron Man is a big reason why the MCU exists today; if the first movie had flopped, Marvel wouldn't be the mega studio it is now.
Unfortunately for fans of Downey's character, Tony Stark was one of many killed in the final two Avengers movies. However, Tony's death is widely considered to be one of the most satisfying. This is because he wasn't killed by Thanos, but rather made the choice to sacrifice himself to restore the world. While Iron Man likely won't be a part of the present MCU timeline going forward, it doesn't necessarily mean Downey's time as the character is done. There are rumors he'll make an appearance in Black Widow, as that movie is set after the events of Captain America: Civil War.
Guy Pearce played a large role in Iron Man 3 as the villain Aldrich Killian. He spoke about his time on the movie for GQ's recurring "Most Iconic Characters" series. During the interview, Pearce revealed, "Robert broke his ankle in the middle of that film, 'cause he had to a stunt where he had to jump from one platform down to another platform and be on a cable." Though Downey has spoken about his injury before, Pearce provided detail, explaining, "They went to rehearse it, and he said, 'No, I don't need to rehearse it,' and he jumped, and the guy holding the cable wasn't ready or something, and he landed hard, and he broke his ankle, so the film sort of shut down for 5 or 6 weeks."
Ironically, Marvel properties are in the midst of a similar shut down right now, albeit for a different reason. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has greatly affected many studios, including Marvel. It first had to shut down production on upcoming Disney+ show The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Soon after, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings took a break, followed by Loki and WandaVision. If Downey does end up appearing in Black Widow, he'll also be affected by it, as that movie recently delayed its release indefinitely.
Even though it's been several years since Iron Man 3 came out, it's still interesting to hear behind-the-scenes details from filming. This is especially the case since Downey's time in the MCU may be over. The circumstances surrounding his on set accident certainly wouldn't sound out of place in a story about Tony Stark. In fact, it may make fans miss the character even more.
Source: GQ
