`Robert Downey Jr. Cracks Up at John Mulaney’s Hilarious Marvel Joke at Governor’s Awards

Robert Downey Jr. continues to prove that he’s not above having a sense of humor about the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. Case in point: Downey’s recent public revelry in a joke from comedian John Mulaney, which made the MCU franchise its punchline. 

Mulaney was hosting the Academy’s 2024 Governors Awards, and during his monologue, he took some time to spotlight Oscar-nominated actress Angela Bassett and her considerable skills as a performer. According to Mulaney, Bassett’s skills are so extensive that “she got an Oscar nomination for a Marvel movie. That’s like getting a Pulitzer Prize for a Reddit comment.” 

RDJ was seen on camera laughing so hard at the joke he was rocking back and forth in his chair. The former Iron Man star had the benefit of being able to do his chuckling from the vantage point of sitting at Christopher Nolan’s table, as he’s enjoying his biggest awards season acclaim in years for Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Not sure Mulaney’s joke would’ve been as resonant with Downey if still had a few more Avengers movies on his upcoming slate… 

John Mulaney’s joke got such a big response in part because of the room in which it was told. The Governors Awards are pretty much the opposite end of the Hollywood spectrum from Marvel Studios and its MCU franchise. There’s always a lot of barely-restrained resentment of Hollywood’s superhero movie/TV era amongst the “cinema” crowds – and Mulaney clearly understood how many of those types are in the room. 

Robert Downey Jr. has at least earned the right to laugh at such a joke: after all, he was the original guy putting on the motion-capture suit and filming facial-capture scenes in a booth to create a live-action Iron Man character that thrilled audiences. The confidence that Downey showed in launching that movie (and the entire MCU that followed) was all manifestation – because at the time, it had to feel more than a little silly. 

But perhaps RDJ shouldn’t laugh too hard? He’s clearly moving into a different phase of his career at this point (keep an eye on that Oscars race for Best Supporting Actor) – but at the same time, reports keep coming that Marvel Studios is still considering a return of Downey’s Iron Man at some point in the current Multiverse Saga. 

You can watch John Mulaney’s full Governors Awards monologue below: 

Oppenheimer is now on home video and streaming.