Robert Downey Jr vows to sue film executives over AI recreation of his likeness in future projects

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Robert Downey Jr made his stance on artificial intelligence clear, humorously warning he would "sue all future executives on spec" for any attempts to recreate his likeness using AI.

The 59-year-old actor, who joined the 'On with Kara Swisher' podcast on October 21 with McNeal playwright Ayad Akhtar and director Bartlett Sher, addressed the growing concerns around AI and digital replication in the entertainment industry.

Robert Downey Jr says Marvel will not misuse his likeness

Robert Downey Jr noted he does not spend much time thinking about digital recreation, sharing, “I feel about it minimally because I have an actual emotional life…that doesn’t have a lot of room for that.”

When asked by host Kara Swisher about future executives who may not seek his permission, Downey Jr emphasized, “I intend to sue all future executives just on spec,” adding that his law firm would be ready to take action, even posthumously.

Known globally as Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Downey Jr shared that he is confident that Marvel would not misuse his likeness, explaining, “I’m not worried about them hijacking my character’s soul.”

He alluded to the trust he has in Marvel’s current leadership, joking that "three or four guys and gals" making decisions at Marvel would never recreate him without his consent, according to People.

Though the actor closed his chapter as Iron Man, he plans to return to the MCU, this time as the villain Doctor Doom in the upcoming Avengers films 'Doomsday' and 'Secret Wars' slated for release on May 1, 2026, and May 1, 2027, respectively.

He announced his role reversal with Marvel at San Diego Comic-Con in July.

Robert Downey Jr explores AI themes in his Broadway debut 'McNeal'

Robert Downey Jr is currently tackling AI from a theatrical perspective in his Broadway debut 'McNeal' where he stars as Jacob McNeal, a celebrated yet conflicted writer with an obsession with AI.

The play, described as a limited engagement running through November 24 in New York City, explores McNeal’s strained family ties and intellectual obsessions.

McNeal is “a great writer, one of our greatest” who is “a perpetual candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature” but also harbors “an unhealthy fascination with Artificial Intelligence,” according to the show’s synopsis.

“The only thing that isn’t true about this play is that AI wrote the final speech,” Downey Jr said, according to The New York Times.