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Robert Downey Jr says calling influencers
Robert Downey Jr. takes swipe at influencers, says calling them ‘stars of the future’ is ‘horses**t’
Robert Downey Jr. takes swipe at influencers, says calling them ‘stars of the future’ is ‘horses**t’
Despite commanding a huge social media following of his own, Robert Downey Jr. admitted that he avoids going “too deep down the rabbit hole” online.
May 7, 2026, 07:45:05 IST By Sugandha Rawal Share via Copy link The debate around the rise of social media influencers as film stars has been raging for years, and now Robert Downey Jr. has joined the conversation with a sharp take. The Hollywood star recently threw shade at influencer culture, calling it “absolute horses**t” to crown influencers as the “stars of the future.” Robert Downey Jr. will soon be seen in Avengers: Doomsday. (REUTERS)Robert Downey Jr. on rise of social media influencers
Recently, Robert Downey Jr. appeared on the Conversations for our Daughters podcast, where he took a subtle dig at social media influencers. The Iron Man star mentioned that “nowadays people can create celebrity without ever doing much besides rolling a phone on themselves”, adding that he doesn’t look at that as a negative thing but more as a challenge for “individuation being upped”. “Hopefully the (larger) part of the youth of – let’s just call it America for locality’s sake – is gonna say, ‘Yeah, but that’s not my thing. I want to go do something, I’m going to make something, I want to build something, I want to educate myself’... When I hear people talk about, ‘Oh, the stars of the future are going to be influencers,’ I go, ‘I don’t know what world you’re living in, but I think that that is absolute horses**t’,” the Oscar winner continued. The actor himself enjoys a massive social media presence, with his Instagram account boasting 58.1 million followers: a fanbase largely built during his iconic run as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He also shared that over the years, while promoting films, he has interacted with several influencers and found many of them to be grounded, accomplished, and genuinely cool people. Despite commanding a huge social media following of his own, Downey Jr. admitted that he avoids going “too deep down the rabbit hole” online, saying he does not want “to be consumed.” He said, “I know, like people say, ‘Robert, they just love it when you’re just kind of like seeming off the cuff, and they’re getting a glimpse into your life.’ And I go, ‘But yeah, but I’d be manufacturing that aspect for them, so it’s B.S. But I remember Jon Favreau, when we brought the teaser for Iron Man to Comic Con, he was tweeting on stage, and I saw the audience… This is the new hue where the audience is going to feel like they’re on the steering committee of this thing. Ok, so that’s the new landscape.”What’s next for Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr. will soon be back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Avengers: Doomsday. This time, he will be seen in the role of the legendary villain Victor Von Doom instead of the fan-favourite Iron Man. Joe and Anthony Russo are directing the film. Downey Jr.'s villain role in Avengers: Doomsday as Doctor Doom was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024. While the Infinity Saga revolved around Thanos (essayed by Josh Brolin) as the main villain, Doomsday is expected to revolve around Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom as the new universe-threatening villain. Avengers: Doomsday will be released on December 18, the same day as the third instalment of Warner Bros' sci-fi series Dune. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sugandha Rawal Sugandha Rawal has been writing about entertainment and lifestyle for over 13 years, and if there's one thing that's kept her going, it's a genuine love for storytelling. She completed her graduation in Journalism from the University of Delhi and went on to earn her Master of Media from IP University. Beginning her career in the fast-paced environment of news wire reporting, she learned the art of accuracy, speed, and storytelling under pressure. She later expanded her horizons in print journalism, where she honed her feature-writing skills and developed a keen eye for detail and narrative depth. These days, she's firmly rooted in digital journalism, adapting and evolving with a media landscape that never sits still. Over the years, Sugandha has covered everything from Bollywood and celebrity culture to wellness trends and lifestyle shifts. She enjoys spotting the drama behind headlines, the emotion behind interviews, and the details that others might miss. When she is not chasing the latest entertainment update or lifestyle trend, you will find her observing the cultural shifts that shape the stories we consume every day.Read More Robert Downey Jr. Us Entertainment Marvel Marvel Movie Marvel Cinematic Universe Iron Man Stay connected with all the glitz and glam from the world of entertainment, right from Hollywood gossip to Bollywood chit chat. Also don't miss out on music buzz, anime scoops and OTT action. News/Entertainment/Hollywood/Robert Downey Jr. Takes Swipe At Influencers, Says Calling Them ‘stars Of The Future’ Is ‘horses**t’ See LessThe debate around the rise of social media influencers as film stars has been raging for years, and now Robert Downey Jr. has joined the conversation with a sharp take. The Hollywood star recently threw shade at influencer culture, calling it “absolute horses**t” to crown influencers as the “stars of the future.”
The Iron Man star mentioned that “nowadays people can create celebrity without ever doing much besides rolling a phone on themselves”, adding that he doesn’t look at that as a negative thing but more as a challenge for “individuation being upped”.
“Hopefully the (larger) part of the youth of – let’s just call it America for locality’s sake – is gonna say, ‘Yeah, but that’s not my thing. I want to go do something, I’m going to make something, I want to build something, I want to educate myself’... When I hear people talk about, ‘Oh, the stars of the future are going to be influencers,’ I go, ‘I don’t know what world you’re living in, but I think that that is absolute horses**t’,” the Oscar winner continued.
The actor himself enjoys a massive social media presence, with his Instagram account boasting 58.1 million followers: a fanbase largely built during his iconic run as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He also shared that over the years, while promoting films, he has interacted with several influencers and found many of them to be grounded, accomplished, and genuinely cool people.
Despite commanding a huge social media following of his own, Downey Jr. admitted that he avoids going “too deep down the rabbit hole” online, saying he does not want “to be consumed.”
He said, “I know, like people say, ‘Robert, they just love it when you’re just kind of like seeming off the cuff, and they’re getting a glimpse into your life.’ And I go, ‘But yeah, but I’d be manufacturing that aspect for them, so it’s B.S. But I remember Jon Favreau, when we brought the teaser for Iron Man to Comic Con, he was tweeting on stage, and I saw the audience… This is the new hue where the audience is going to feel like they’re on the steering committee of this thing. Ok, so that’s the new landscape.”
Downey Jr.'s villain role in Avengers: Doomsday as Doctor Doom was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024. While the Infinity Saga revolved around Thanos (essayed by Josh Brolin) as the main villain, Doomsday is expected to revolve around Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom as the new universe-threatening villain. Avengers: Doomsday will be released on December 18, the same day as the third instalment of Warner Bros' sci-fi series Dune.
Source: HindustanTimes
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