Robert Downey Jr. recently gave one of his career-best performances in a new television project, but it is sadly being ignored and deserves more attention. Until a few years ago, it was hard not to associate Robert Downey Jr. with his Marvel Cinematic Universe role because he played Iron Man/Tony Stark for over a decade. Somewhere between his superhero films, he also portrayed other memorable characters in movies like The Judge, Chef, Sherlock Holmes, and Tropic Thunder. However, none were captivating enough to overshadow his performance as Iron Man.

In 2023, Robert Downey Jr. experienced a new wave of recognition and acclaim after playing a prominent character in Oppenheimer. The role even landed him his first Academy Award, highlighting how he is still evolving as an actor after his long run as Iron Man in the MCU. Even after Oppenheimer, RDJ has given another great performance, which, surprisingly, is not being talked about as much as his other mainstream movie roles.

The Sympathizer Is One Of RDJ’s Best Performances In Recent Years

RDJ Convincingly Plays Four Different Characters In The Sympathizer

Outside his role as Iron Man/Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, Robert Downey Jr. has portrayed other diverse characters in recent years. Unfortunately, another one of his brilliant performances from recent times is being ignored even though it deserves a lot of attention. In the miniseries The Sympathizer, Robert Downey Jr. does a great job at playing four different antagonists, which puts his impressive acting range on full display.

While some critics are a little let-down by the absurdities he brings to each of his villains in the series, others are blown away by how seamlessly he transitions from one character to another in different arcs of the show. Regardless of the mixed reviews, it is hard not to appreciate Downey Jr.’s ability to take risks and portray multiple characters in one series. And the fact that he manages to bring a distinct identity to each character by selling them as unique individuals is a testament to his acting talent.

Why Is The Sympathizer Not Getting More Attention?

The Sympathizer’s Story Lacks Mass Appeal

The Sympatizer‘s Rotten Tomatoes, currently at 86%, reflects how much critics are enjoying its black comedy historical drama. However, despite having many factors working in its favor, the show is not getting as much attention as it deserves. One of the biggest reasons behind this is that the show dabbles with myriad themes throughout its runtime — from cultural appropriation to the refugee experience — making its narrative quite complex and difficult to follow.

Despite having several compelling comical moments and gripping action sequences, The Sympathizer also challenges viewers by not initially giving away the intent and potential direction of its story.

With each episode, The Sympathizer also significantly shifts its tone, pace, and settings, which may not appeal to viewers looking for something more straightforward and linear. Despite having several compelling comical moments and gripping action sequences, The Sympathizer also challenges viewers by not initially giving away the intent and potential direction of its story. Owing to this, impatient audiences would likely have given up on the series a little too soon, preventing it from getting more attention and benefiting from the word-of-mouth surrounding Robert Downey Jr’s performance.

The Sympathizer Could Continue Robert Downey Jr’s Awards Form

After His Oppenheimer Oscar Success, Downey Jr. Could Earn Even More Awards For The Sympathizer

Despite stiff competition from other talented nominees like Sterling K. Brown, Robert De Niro, Ryan Gosling, and Mark Ruffalo in the Best Supporting Actor category at the 96th Academy Awards, Robert Downey Jr. took the win. However, his The Sympathizer performance may not garner the same attention at award functions because it has not yet attained the mainstream success that Oppenheimer earned. Since most television awards like the Golden Globes and Emmys incline more towards nominating shows with a lot more buzz, Downey Jr.’s chances of even getting nominated for any of them seem slim.

However, since Robert Downey Jr.’s name alone brings immense credibility to whichever movie or television project he works on, The Sympathizer could generate significant interest among award authorities because of his involvement. This could ultimately get him a nomination and even a win, continuing his impressive award spree after Oppenheimer’s success. It is also worth noting that The Sympathizer‘s season 1 still has three more episodes before it ends its run. Since the show is only a little over half through its story, it has time to reach more viewers and generate enough hype to earn award nominations.

Remaining The Sympathizer Episodes

Episode Number
Episode Title
Release Date

5
All for One
May 12, 2024

6
The Oriental Mode of Destruction
May 19, 2024

7
TBA
May 26, 2024

Robert Downey Jr Is Finally Moving On From Iron Man

He Is Effectively Remoulding His Screen Persona

Since the release of the first Iron Man movie in the late aughts, Robert Downey Jr.’s screen persona has primarily been defined by his superhero role. The cathartic journey of his MCU character and the poignant end of his story made the actor almost synonymous with Tony Stark, so much so that audiences still hope he will reprise his role as the character. While his return to the MCU might still be an intriguing prospect, it is good that Downey Jr. is exploring new avenues with his acting career and moving further away from Iron Man by starring in shows like The Sympathizer.

Compared to Oppenheimer , The Sympathizer may even add more value to Downey Jr.’s acting career because the show highlights he is willing to take risks by working on relatively smaller projects.

While his Oppenheimer role was enough to establish that his journey as an actor cannot solely be defined by one character, the Christopher Nolan film only served as a stepping stone for him to branch into a wider range of projects. The Sympathizer may not be getting the viewership numbers and audience approval it seemingly deserves. However, it highlights how Robert Downey Jr. is already on the right path toward breaking the confines of his previous persona and paving the way for a more versatile career as an actor.

Compared to Oppenheimer, The Sympathizer may even add more value to Downey Jr.’s acting career because the show highlights he is willing to take risks by working on relatively smaller projects. The actor could easily leverage his existing fame and reputation to make safe bets and pursue projects that almost guarantee commercial success. However, the fact that Robert Downey Jr. is willing to focus more on playing challenging characters in shows like The Sympathizer speaks volumes about his commitment to his craft.