On Robert Downey Jr’s birthday, check out his best non-MCU movies

Sherlock Holmes (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ Hotstar)

It is not just Iron Man, RDJ also left his stamp on another iconic character, namely Sherlock Holmes, the fictional British detective created by Arthur Conan Doyle. His London accent is not quite believable and the Guy Ritchie’s directorials (Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows) are as much action films as they are mysteries. But Downey Jr’s Sherlock is worthy followup to all the other on-screen Sherlock Holmes, and his irresistible chemistry with Jude Law (who plays the role of Sherlock’s trustworthy friend/sidekick Dr John Watson) makes the films incredibly entertaining indeed, even if they are not as faithful to the source material as a purist would like.

Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law in Sherlock Holmes.

Due Date (Netflix)

Robert Downey Jr pairs up with Zach Galifianakis in this Todd Phillips-directed comedy. While Zach is clearly the star of the film, RDJ’s performance is a departure from his wisecracking characters like Tony and Sherlock.

Tropic Thunder (Netflix)

Downey Jr plays the role of Kirk Lazarus, an Australian method actor who had a “pigmentation alteration” surgery to permanently darken his face in order to play a black character in a war film on the Vietnam War. The portrayal, naturally, inspired intense criticism and continues to be controversial even now, but the actor’s performance in this Ben Stiller directorial was widely praised.

Robert Downey Jr in Tropic Thunder as method-actor Kirk Lazarus.

Zodiac (Netflix and Amazon Prime Video)

A David Fincher directorial, Zodiac was based on the infamous serial killer Zodiac who terrorised the citizens of San Francisco Bay Area in the 1960s and the 1970s. Apart from Downey Jr, the film also starred Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Brian Cox, John Carroll Lynch among others.

Richard III

Robert Downey Jr may not have perfected his British accents, he is still a compelling nobleman in Richard III, due to his sheer charisma though his performance is somewhat overshadowed by Ian McKellen in the titular role.