Many people forget that the usually spry Robert Downey, Jr. is actually 47-years-old. And no matter how physically fit you are, getting through stunt scenes in an action movie doesn’t get easier with old age. So, it was only a matter of time, perhaps, before Downey, Jr. succumbed to laws of man and injured himself while playing Tony Sark, aka Iron Man.
Downey, Jr. injured his ankle today on the set of “Iron Man 3” causing the production to halt shooting until he’s healthy enough to don Iron Man’s gold and crimson armor again.
In a statement, Marvel Studios said, “Robert Downey Jr. sustained an ankle injury on the set of Iron Man 3 in Wilmington, North Carolina while performing a stunt. There will be a short delay in the production schedule while he recuperates.”
Neither the studio or Disney revealed when they expect the film to be back up and running, but the picture is still on track for a May 3, 2013 release.
“Iron Man 3” has been shooting in North Carolina since June. The third installment in the “Iron Man” franchise is under the direction of Shane Black based on a screenplay by Black and Drew Pearce. The film features the return of Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Don Cheadle as James Rhodes (War Machine) and former franchise helmer Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan. Sir Ben Kingsley is the film’s villainous The Mandarin, Guy Pearce is Stark competitor Aldrich Killian and Rebecca Hall joins the cast as Maya Hansen.