BAFTAs 2024: Robert Downey Jr. Wins Best Supporting Actor For Oppenheimer

The 77th annual British Academy Film Awards AKA the BAFTAs are currently taking place in London with host David Tennant (Doctor Who, Good Omens) at the helm. The ceremony has already seen a few exciting wins as well as some very big surprises. However, some of the event is unfolding as predicted, including the winner of Best Supporting Actor. Robert Downey Jr. has taken home the prize for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. Downey Jr. has been the frontrunner this season, and many believe he is going to take home the Academy Award. 

At the BAFTAs, Downey Jr. beat out Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon), Jacob Elordi (Saltburn), Ryan Gosling (Barbie), Paul Mescal (All of Us Strangers), and Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers). At the Oscars, which are taking place next month, Downey Jr.'s competition will be a bit different. He's still going up against De Niro and Gosling in addition to Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things) and Sterling K. Brown (American Fiction). 

How To Watch The BAFTAs:

The BAFTAs will be televised on BBC One in addition to being available to available iPlayer and BritBox. If you don't have access to these streaming options, you can follow the BAFTA's social media accounts: X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. Clara Amfo and Alex Zane are also hosting the red carpet pre-show, which is being streamed on YouTube. 

For those who live outside of the UK or US, the official BAFTAs website has a guide for viewing options that you can check out here.

Who Is Presenting at the BAFTAs: 

Cate Blanchett, David Beckham, Dua Lipa, Idris Elba, Hugh Grant, Gillian Anderson, Andrew Scott, Bryce Dallas Howard, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Daryl McCormack, Keegan-Michael Key, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lily Collins, Marisa Abela, Rebecca Ferguson, Sheila Atim and Taylor Russell are all scheduled to present at this year's BAFTAs.

Will Robert Downey Jr. Play Iron Man Again?

Downey Jr. played Tony Stark/Iron Man starting in 2008 in Iron Man until the character's death in Avengers: Endgame in 2019. There's been a lot of speculation about whether or not the MCU will revive Downey Jr.'s character with rumors swirling that the original six Avengers will once again return to the franchise. Previously, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said Downey Jr. was "part of the family," but when it comes to his return, "we'll have to see." However, the producer sang a different tune in a recent Vanity Fair profile on the actor. 

"We are going to keep that moment and not touch that moment again," Feige shared. "We all worked very hard for many years to get to that, and we would never want to magically undo it in any way."

"We'd already said tearful goodbyes on the last day of shooting. Everybody had moved on emotionally," Avengers: Endgame co-director Joe Russo added. "We promised him it would be the last time we made him do it- ever."

While it's not surprising to hear there are no plans to resurrect Tony Stark, that doesn't necessarily mean fans won't be seeing Downey Jr. in the MCU again. There are plenty of rumors and theories about Avengers: Secret Wars, including the idea that an alternate version of Tony Stark from another universe could appear in the film. Of course, it's also worth noting that when it comes to the MCU, many of the people involved are known for lying, so you never really know who could be popping up.

Are you rooting for Robert Downey Jr. this awards season? Tell us in the comments!