The relationship between Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Holland may have started off as a fictional one between their characters in Captain America: Civil War, but the duo became firm friends off the screen as well, with the veteran actor finding himself as the fast-rising star’s mentor. That’s a hugely beneficial position for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Peter Parker to be in, of course, because RDJ has seen and done it all at this point.
Having made his screen debut at the age of five in his father’s 1970 comedy Pound, Downey Jr. has clocked up half a century in the business, and he’s experienced the highs of rising through the ranks in his 20s and the lows of widely-publicized personal issues almost destroying his entire career, before ascending to the very summit of the Hollywood A-list thanks to his iconic role as Tony Stark.
Holland might only be 24 years old, but he’s already one of the most popular young talents in the industry, and his latest effort Cherry could see him gain some serious awards season buzz. The Russo brothers have touted the performance of their leading man as worthy of a trophy or two on a few occasions now, and following a virtual Q&A hosted by Downey Jr., the Sherlock Holmes star had huge praise for the film.
“Honestly, I just gotta say, this is one of those movies that you’re gonna wind up, when it comes on in five years, wherever it is in the movie, you’re gonna wanna watch it. It’s the highest compliment I can pay to a piece of cinema is it bears re-watching. It’s one of those things that really is a mediation and the fact that all of you infused it with something that has such meaning in this crisis within the crisis within the crisis and again, god bless our troops, and what they go through.”
Cherry is based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Nico Walker, with Holland starring as a military veteran with undiagnosed PTSD who resorts to robbing banks in order to fund his opioid addiction. The first official footage teased a transformative performance from the actor, and with the movie set to hit theaters at the end of next month before streaming exclusively on AppleTV+ from March onwards, it could end up making a late surge for some Academy Awards recognition.