First acting in the '80s and continuing to star in movies today, Robert Downey Jr. has had a long and successful career. To celebrate his biggest hits, we're here to take a look at the 54-year-old actor's biggest films to date. We'll be turning to the star rating system at IMDb to do this.
Every one of Downey's films has been assigned a rating on the website, based on the votes of registered users on a scale of 1 to 10. This score is how we'll stack up all of the actor's films.
With the logistics out of the way, it's time to sort through Downey's biggest superhero hits, comedies, and dramas; Here are Robert Downey Jr.'s best movies to date, according to the fans at IMDb.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows (7.5)
Robert Downey Jr. starred as the iconic detective Sherlock Holmes in a movie named after him in 2009. So naturally, he reprised the role for a sequel in 2011.
A Game of Shadows had Holmes, his sidekick Dr. Watson, and a Gypsy woman uncovering the mystery behind the death of Austria's crown prince. While the event is framed as a suicide, the group soon figures out that the death is a small part of an even greater plan curated by the evil Moriarty.
Though more details are yet to be released, the series is set to get yet another sequel in December 2021. Downey is set to reprise his role as the lead.
Chaplin (7.6)
This 1992 comedy-drama recounts the life of comedian Charlie Chaplin, with Downey starring as the man himself.
Though the story begins by focusing on Chaplin's early days in south London, he eventually begins a successful silent movie career in America. Though Chaplin faces many wins, they are shadowed by his difficult relationships and eventual exile from the United States.
Downey received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor thanks to his strong performance. The high production and overall interest were also praised, despite the script taking a handful of artistic liberties.
Sherlock Holmes (7.6)
Downey's original 2009 Sherlock Holmes film involves a series of murders that continued to occur throughout London. With help from Watson, Holmes sets out to locate the terrorizing Lord Blackwood. The pair soon finds out, however, that their case isn't ordinary when dark magic and strange technologies weave into the mystery.
Though Downey held the leading role, Jude Law, Mark Strong, and Rachel McAdams rounded out the cast.
Short Cuts (7.7)
In 1993, Downey took on a role in a comedy-drama film inspired by the writing of American poet and short story creator, Raymond Carver.
The film weaved together the stories of 22 different characters, with many of the plots relating back to infidelity and death. In addition to Downey, the ensemble cast included names like Julianne Moore, Frances McDormand, Matthew Modine, and Anne Archer among many others.
Though its box office score was modest, the film received a load of admiration who found the story to be funny, emotional, and compelling overall.
Zodiac (7.7)
This 2007 mystery thriller tells of a team of investigators and reporters who work together to find the true identity of the serial killer known as Zodiac. As the criminal continues to count his victims, he leaves behind messages that the gang is eager to figure out.
The film's biggest stars include Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo. Robert Downey Jr. Downey played one of the reporters, the real-life Paul Avery.
The film finished on many critics' end-of-year top-ten lists.
Captain America: Civil War (7.8)
The first Marvel film to hit this list is Civil War.
After the future of the Avengers comes into question, Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) split into teams, having different opinions on the government's defense of the people. This leads the other Avengers to join both sides of the debate.
The blockbuster was filled with both big action and interesting themes, leading it to become both a critical and commercial success.
Iron Man (7.9)
Before Iron Man was appearing as part of the Avengers, he was holding down his own film.
The original 2008 Iron Man film had Downey, as billionaire genius Tony Stark, being kidnapped by terrorists who hope to make him build a weapon for them. He ends up instead creating a special suit that helps him escape, and it's not long before he uses it to fight crime and defend humanity.
Little did Downey know at the time that this film would kick off a huge series of Marvel successes.
The Avengers (8.0)
In 2012, all the Avengers came together on screen for the first time ever.
This superhero film had Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and the Hulk coming together under the leadership of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director, Nick Fury. Their goal? To defeat Thor's evil brother, Loki, who has gotten ahold of the powerful Tesseract cube.
This film was followed by three more that were showered in success.
Avengers: Infinity War (8.5)
The third installment in the Avengers series had the super gang teaming together in a giant fight against Thanos.
This new villain hopes to use the six Infinity stones in order to rearrange reality, so naturally, the heroes set out to collect them all first. They do this by splitting into teams and setting out for success.
The film's twist ending had moviegoers begging for the follow-up film to come fast.
Avengers: Endgame (8.5)
Spoiler alert: the gang fails in Infinity War, and Thanos does wipe out half of humanity with the help of the Infinity stones. That's why, when the remaining heroes learn that there might be a way to reverse time, they jump at the opportunity.
Downey reprises his role as Iron Man for one final time, helping close out an era in superhero history.
The 2019 film grossed over $2.7 billion at the box office and left fans more than content.