Robert Downey Jr lines up next major role after Oppenheimer success

Stephanie Chase

May 7, 2024 at 6:42 p.m.·2 min read

Robert Downey Jr has lined up his next major role after taking home an Oscar for Oppenheimer – but it's not on the big screen.

According to Deadline, the much-loved actor is set to make his Broadway debut in McNeal, a new play from Ayad Akhtar, writer of the Tony-nominated Junk and the Pulitzer-winner Disgraced.

Downey will play the eponymous character Jacob McNeal in the production, which will run at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. Previews are set to begin on Thursday, September 5, and opening night is set for Monday, September 30.

robert downey jr wearing tinted black glasses and a blue and grey suit with a polka dotted tie at the premiere of oppenheimer in 2023 — Joe Maher - Getty Images

The production will have a strictly limited run through to Sunday, November 24.

Further casting and ticket information will be released at a later date. McNeal is directed by Bartlett Sher, who was Tony-nominated for To Kill A Mockingbird.

The official synopsis for McNeal reads: “Good writers borrow, great writers steal. Jacob McNeal is a great writer, one of our greatest, a perpetual candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

"But McNeal also has an estranged son, a new novel, old axes to grind and an unhealthy fascination with Artificial Intelligence.

"Pulitzer Prize-winner Ayad Akhtar’s new play is a startling and wickedly smart examination of the inescapable humanity – and increasing inhumanity – of the stories we tell."

Meanwhile, nearly five years after saying goodbye to Tony Stark, Downey has said he'd "happily" appear in the MCU again as Iron Man.

"It's too integral a part of my DNA. That role chose me," he told Esquire earlier this month.

"And look, I always say, 'Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige'. It is a losing bet. He's the house. He will always win."

You Might Also Like

The Guardian
Corrections and clarifications
Share My Telly Job | David Burke
Associated Press
Dallas Stars get some needed rest at home after starting to 'run on fumes' in NHL playoffs
The Dallas Stars rested at home Sunday. “We were starting to run on fumes here at the end of this round,” coach Pete DeBoer said. Dallas still doesn't know who it will play when hosting Game 1 of the Western Conference Final on Thursday night since the other second-round West series between Edmonton and Vancouver extended to a Game 7.
BANG Showbiz
Sean Combs’ media company Revolt ‘saddened and disturbed’ by his assault video
After footage emerged of the rapper beating his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016, the media company he co-founded has said it is “saddened and disturbed” by the video – in a statement that also urged victims of abuse to get help.
BANG Showbiz
Sharon Stone reveals paedophile grandfather was so demented he’d have had sex ‘with a chair leg’
Opening up about her and her sister being abused by their maternal grandad, Sharon Stone has said he was so out of control he would have had sex with a “chair leg”.
BANG Showbiz
Cynthia Nixon says ‘Sex and the City’ cast were flooded with hate over show
Reflecting on the reaction to the show when it first aired, Cynthia Nixon has said she and the ‘Sex and the City’ cast were bombarded with hate over its sexual content.
The Telegraph
Protest groups could be forced to pay compensation for disruption
Protest groups such as Just Stop Oil will be forced to pay compensation to people whose lives they disrupt under plans in a Government-commissioned review.
allrecipes
John Lennon’s Favorite 3-Ingredient Cocktail Is a Retro Classic
And a popular order from the Prohibition era.
The Canadian Press
Stars shining at San Siro as Inter celebrates 20th Serie A title
MILAN (AP) — Before the sun set in Milan on Sunday, San Siro had two stars shining brighter than ever as Inter Milan finally got its title celebrations underway. While Inter fans had been celebrating since last month when the Nerazzurri secured the Serie A title with five rounds remaining, the players finally got their hands on the trophy after the final home match of the season — a 1-1 draw against Lazio. The title was Inter’s 20th, earning it a coveted second star and after the match all the p
Yahoo News
Iran's president was in a helicopter crash: here’s what we know — and what we don’t
Iran's president was involved in a helicopter crash. Here's what we know — and what we don't so far.
The Daily Beast
Steve Buscemi’s Suspected Attacker Held on $50,000 Bail in NYC
Lev Radin/Getty ImagesThe man accused of randomly punching actor Steve Buscemi in the face two weeks ago has been arraigned and is being held in New York City on $50,000 cash bail.According to the complaint, Clifton Williams, 50, is charged with one count of assault in the second degree and one count of assault in the third degree. Williams allegedly punched a separate male victim nine minutes before he assaulted Buscemi, the complaint says, leaving them both with “bruising, swelling, and substa
Sky News
Islamic State claims responsibility for gun attack that killed three Spanish tourists in Afghanistan
Islamic State has claimed responsibility after three Spanish tourists were killed when gunmen opened fire in Afghanistan's central Bamiyan province. A fourth person was also killed, and a further four foreign nationals and three Afghans were injured in the attack in the mountainous region, the Taliban's interior ministry has said. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack on its Telegram channel.
PA Media: Sport
Beth Shriever suffers fractured collarbone two months out from Olympics
The injury happened at the BMX Racing World Championships in South Carolina.
Indiewire
Cannes 2024 Sales: A24 Acquires Rights to Ruben Öslund’s New Film ‘The Entertainment System Is Down’
After a Cannes bidding war, the indie distributor landed the two-time Palme d'Or winner's latest social satire, which is set to star Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst, and Nicholas Braun.
The State
SC man thought he was having a heart attack after winning lottery game’s grand prize
The odds of winning the six-figure jackpot were 1-in-984,000.
The Telegraph
Ollie Robinson puts himself back in England frame by blowing Yorkshire away
Ollie Robinson did exactly what the England selectors have asked of him, producing his finest spell of the season so far to bowl promotion-chasing Sussex to victory over winless Yorkshire.
People
Adele Raves Over Sabrina Carpenter's 'Espresso' Hit: 'That Song Is My Jam!'
The 'Easy on Me' singer joked about not being able to sing along to Carpenter's new single due to her recent vocal rest
Insider Monkey
The Best Country for Teachers to Immigrate to
In this article, we are going to talk about the best country for teachers to immigrate to. For our detailed discussion, go directly to 15 Best Countries for Teachers to Immigrate to. A growing number of countries are experiencing a significant shortage of qualified teachers, particularly at the secondary level. This trend, driven by factors […]
The Independent
Biden tells pro-Gaza student protesters their ‘voices should be heard’ during Morehouse commencement speech
When he began speaking, one student held up a Palestinian flag and a handful turned their chairs away from him
WLKY - Louisville Videos
Man removes snake from Valhalla during PGA Championship
A Shelbyville man removed a snake from Valhalla during the PGA Championship.
ABC News
Meet some of the New Yorkers waiting overnight to get a seat at the Trump trial
As a light rain began to fall on lower Manhattan Saturday night, a group of people across the street from the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse zipped up their tents and clutched their sleeping bags. Unlike other hot tickets in New York – courtside seats to see the Knicks in the playoffs or behind home plate at Yankee Stadium – a seat inside the historic trial of former President Trump is free for the public, as long as they show up early enough. The line began to form at 6 a.m. Saturday morning with Tina Johnson, a Westchester resident whose past attempts to get in the courtroom failed when she arrived too late.

Latest Stories