What's Next For Robert Downey Jr. After Avengers: Endgame

For more than a decade, Robert Downey Jr. has been the face and, often, the voice of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a massive interconnected world of superhero films that kicked off in 2008 with Iron Man, starring Downey in the title role. The film was a box office hit, and Downey began his journey from risky blockbuster prospect to global superstar. This year, with Avengers: Endgame, his journey in the MCU came to an end, and though there may be avenues for him to return in future films, it seems he's done being a full-time Marvel hero.

The good news is that the MCU left Downey with the kind of professional resources he'd never had before in his career, from a massive worldwide fanbase to a hefty bank account to the kind of visibility and clout in Hollywood that will allow him to pursue a whole host of new projects. Thanks to those resources, Downey is definitely not slowing down his career post-Marvel. In addition to upcoming major releases like The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle and the third film in the blockbuster Sherlock Holmes series, he's also got a number of other projects lined up, from an HBO miniseries to his directorial debut to a plan to try and save the world in real life. This is what's next for Robert Downey Jr. after Avengers: Endgame.

Back in 2016 it was reported that Downey would star in a new miniseries from HBO following a reimagined version of criminal defense attorney Perry Mason, a character created by writer Erle Stanley Gardner who's best known thanks to the CBS television series starring Raymond Burr which ran from 1957 to 1966. Set in 1930s Los Angeles, the miniseries is set to focus on the character's origin story. When the project was initially announced, True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto was also onboard to write the miniseries.

Things have changed significantly in the last three years, but Perry Mason is still happening. Downey is still very much involved, though he will no longer star in the series. Downey has instead stepped back into the role of executive producer on the series alongside his wife and producing partner Susan Downey. The Americans star Matthew Rhys has instead been cast in the title role, with Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) and John Lithgow (Pet Sematary) joining as co-stars. Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald will act as writers and showrunners for the series, with Tim Van Patten (The Sopranos) directing. The series is moving forward, but does not yet have a release date.

Two major film adaptations of Hugh Lofting's Doctor Dolittle novels have already been released. The first, starring Rex Harrison, arrived in 1967, and the second, starring Eddie Murphy in a modern and more outright comedic take on the subject, arrived in 1998. Now it's Downey's turn to take on the role of an eccentric animal expert who's also able to talk to his animal friends.

Downey has been attached to the project since the spring of 2017, and principal photography on the film began the following year, but then the production hit a snag. Back in April of 2019 it was reported that producers had serious concerns about director Stephen Gaghan's initial cut of the film. The studio called in Chris McKay (The LEGO Batman Movie) to write additional material for the script and hired Jonathan Liebesman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) to assist Gaghan in directing three weeks of new material and visual effects for the film. All of this led the studio to push back the film's release date from summer 2019 to January 17, 2020.

In addition to Downey in the title role, The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle will feature an all-star cast of celebrity voices for animals, including Emma Thompson, Selena Gomez, Tom Holland, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Sheen, Antonio Banderas, Octavia Spencer, and many more.

Pinocchio is the Downey project we currently know the least about, at least in terms of who else might be involved and when we'll see it. It's also the project that seems most likely to evaporate into nothing, because at various points it's been simply an announced film, a film in development, and a film that doesn't seem to be gaining any traction.

Back in 2010, Warner Bros. announced its plans for a live-action adaptation of the Pinocchio story in a way that would be distinct from Disney's take on the character (Disney is, naturally, developing its own version of a live-action adaptation). In 2012, it was reported that Downey had joined the project to play Geppetto, the wood carver who makes Pinocchio as a son for himself. Since then the film had bounced around so much that now it seems it's simply sitting in some form of development hell. Everyone from Tim Burton to Paul Thomas Anderson has been attached to the film at one point or another, and in 2016 it was reported that Oscar winner Ron Howard might finally be the director to tackle the project. Alas, Pinocchio is no longer even listed on Downey's public filmography on IMDb, so it's possible this one is destined to be nothing.

Robert Downey Jr. is a gifted actor, a producer, and even a talented musician, but one area he hasn't yet dipped his toe in is directing. Downey's made a lot of movies, but even as the son of famed filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., he's never made the leap fully to the director's chair. Apparently, that's changing in the near future.

In 2016, The Wrap reported that Downey would climb into the director's chair for the first time with Singularity, a new TV series that would star Anthony Michael Hall. Downey and his wife Susan will produce the project through their Team Downey banner, and Downey is reportedly set to direct the pilot of the series.

Sadly, that's basically all we know about Singularity at this point. The series is still apparently developing, which means there's no release date planned, no network or streaming service reportedly attached, and no supporting cast in place that we've heard about. At this point, even the basic plot of the series is still under wraps, but now that he's in his post-Marvel years, Downey could likely kickstart this one any time.