When it was announced last October that Robert Downey Jr. would be co-starring alongside Chris Evans in the next Captain America film, fans became giddy with delight. It was first rumored that Downey Jr. would only be doing 2 more Avengers films with ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ being one of them. Now that he’s signed on for more and will be pitted up against Captain America in the next film, fans have been eagerly awaiting the upcoming films with excitement!

In an interview with Empire Magazine, Downey Jr. opens up about the upcoming adventures and what’s in store for Tony Stark all the while keeping details about ‘Age of Ultron’ and ‘Captain America: Civil War’ close to his chest.

Of course what had everyone wondering was what convinced RDJ to sign on for more Marvel films:

“It was the Russos and Chris who, I think, really hit the line drive and won the series. I remember glancing through it going, “Wow, that’s a different way to go”. They said, “If we have you, we can do this or Cap 3 has to be something else”. It’s nice to feel needed.

At this point it ceases about being about announcements of contracts and deal points and Forbes and all that. And to see Chadwick being announced for Black Panther, I go, ‘Wow, man, Marvel is making all the right moves and they’re not doing it because it’s PC, they’re doing it because it’s exciting’. So why would I be the one to go, ‘I’m not going on the road. I don’t get along with the keyboardist’. Who cares? Who cares? And look, I also recognize that I’ll be turning 50 by the time I promote this movie. The clock is ticking down on the amount of memories and participation that I would allow myself and not embarrass the medium with. And when they pitched it to me and when I had a couple of ideas and when they said we like those ideas, let’s do those. “

While having Iron Man in ‘Captain America 3’ is a big deal, one of the things RDJ wanted to make clear was that the film is definitively a Steve Rogers/Captain America film:

“Ultimately it’s Steve’s story; it doesn’t say ‘Iron Man 4: Civil War’. I think that’s great too. I think Chris [Evans] has been hungry to bring even more of an underside and some shadow to that.”

In ‘Age of Ultron,’ it’s Tony Stark who has created the antagonist of the film which is a bit ironic as Ultron was originally built to help the Avengers. Some may think it’s a departure from the character, but Downey Jr explains it really isn’t:

“Interestingly enough, it’s the ironic flip side. The thing I’m trying to create was to stop all this. It’s a ‘damned if you do’ type thing. Look, in some ways it’s just a device. Every character has to have something to do that makes sense to set up. What I appreciated was that it was a new flip for Tony without seeming out of character. What I appreciate is that he is maturing and that he is becoming a benefactor of something vastly different than his father ever could have imagined.”

“I need to be true to the character and I need to be true to what the filmmakers and the studio are doing with the trajectory of this whole big juggernaut. As far as Tony’s guilt, I think it’s always tougher when you had a pure heart going in. I think that’s the rough part. ‘I don’t operate like I used to. This is a really good idea, don’t you see?’ But he missed something. I think it’s the guilt of recognizing that my best thinking can still bring me back to a place where I wish I’d just kept my mouth shut.”

Downey Jr. was also asked how he felt knowing ‘Age of Ultron’ would be Joss Whedon’s last Avengers film:

“It’s funny, nobody really ever goes away entirely from the Marvel universe. I’m sure whatever’s going on in ten years, whether I’m receiving a red cent or whether anyone still associates me with the product, there’s still always going to be a level as long as anybody from the original team is there, where you’re connected. More than I would miss him, I would be remiss to say that these are such Herculean gigs, so it’s important for Joss to take all the leverage he’s earned and to apply it to something else. Ultimately he’s a creator, and I think what he did is he’s very aptly taken pre-existing material and spun it into something that feels like a creation.”

While we are also saddened that Whedon has decided to take on different projects after ‘Age of Ultron,’ it is comforting to know that Tony Stark, who many consider as the anchor of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, will be around for a few more films.

You can read more of Downey Jr’s interview over at Empire Magazine!

‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ will be released on May 1 with ‘Captain America: Civil War’ hitting theaters on May 6, 2016.