Disney wanted Robert Downey Jr. to win an Oscar for Avengers: Endgame, but the actor said no

After 10 years of playing Tony Stark/Iron Man in the MCU, you'd think that Robert Downey Jr. would be more than worthy (Thor pun intended) of a Best Actor Oscar. Let's not forget that his wordless death throes near the end of Avengers: Endgame left nary a dry eye in the house. As it turns out, Disney/Marvel Studios wanted to put up Downey Jr. for an Academy Award at the next ceremony, but the actor politely declined.

"There was some talk about it, and I said, 'Let's not.' Because I'm much more like you than you might really want to believe," Downey revealed during a recent chat with Howard Stern, also touching on the comments made by Martin Scorsese about Marvel films not being cinema.

"I mean, it plays in theaters," he said. "I appreciate his opinion because I think it's like anything. We need all of the different perspectives, so we can come to center and move on ... It'd be like saying, 'Howard Stern isn't radio.' It makes no sense to say it ... There's a lot to be said for how these genre movies—and I was happy to be a part of the 'problem' if there is one—denigrated the era, the art form of cinema. When you come in like a stomping beast and you eliminate the competition in such a demonstrative way, it's phenomenal ... Do you actually think that Martin Scorsese is upset about Marvel movies?"

Last year, Black Panther nabbed Marvel its first-ever Oscars in the categories of Costume Design, Production Design, and Original Score.

This year, Endgame may not end up for any acting prizes, but it could certainly be a major contender in the technical categories. Who knows, Alan Silvestri might just take home the Best Original Score statue based solely on the merits of his "Portals" theme that plays during the film's epic and emotional denouement. Whatever ends up happening, you can expect the comic book crossover project to keep cropping up over the next few months, as Disney made it clear last month that it would be submitting Endgame for serious awards consideration.

The 92nd Oscars will be held on February 9, 2020 at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.