‘VisionQuest’ Star Paul Bettany Thinks the Oscars Got It Wrong With Robert Downey Jr.’s ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Performance

Paul Bettany has been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the very beginning. He first joined as the voice of Tony Stark’s AI assistant J.A.R.V.I.S. in 2008’s ‘Iron Man’ after director Jon Favreau personally recruited him, and he later stepped into the role of Vision.

Now, Bettany is preparing for his biggest Marvel moment yet. His series ‘VisionQuest’ premieres on Disney+ on October 14, with James Spader returning as Ultron and Terry Matalas serving as showrunner.

While promoting the new show, Bettany was asked which performance across Marvel’s films and series he believes deserved Academy recognition. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he picked his longtime co-star Robert Downey Jr. for his work in ‘Avengers: Endgame’.

Bettany described Downey’s turn as Tony Stark in the film as truly Oscar-worthy. He added that it was an extraordinary performance and argued that Downey should have earned a nomination. The comments quickly sparked conversation among fans.

Many responded to the interview on Entertainment Weekly’s Instagram, agreeing with Bettany and praising the raw emotion Downey brought to the role, while others argued ‘Captain America: Civil War’ also deserved recognition. Bettany isn’t the first person close to the film to champion Downey’s performance. During the 2019 awards season, directors Joe and Anthony Russo pushed hard for his recognition.

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When asked about Downey’s Oscar chances, the Russos called him “the greatest actor of his generation,” and Joe Russo added that his work in ‘Endgame’ was “a profound performance that moved people around the world on a scale we have never seen before,” Rotten Tomatoes reported.

Despite that push, Academy voters didn’t bite. ‘Avengers: Endgame’ earned only 1 Oscar nomination, for Best Visual Effects at the 92nd Academy Awards, and the award ultimately went to ‘1917’.

Comic book performances have historically struggled to break through with Oscar voters. At the time, Heath Ledger remained the only actor to earn a nomination for a superhero role. Downey still collected plenty of honors for the film elsewhere. He won Best Hero for ‘Avengers: Endgame’ at the MTV Movie & TV Awards, and the movie’s acting, especially his, drew particular recognition across awards season.

Many fans pointed out that Downey did eventually get his Academy Award. He won his first Oscar in 2024 for his supporting role in Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ after dominating that awards season.

That win came after years of fans hoping the Academy would recognize him. For many, it felt like long-overdue acknowledgment of a career that includes his decade-defining run as Iron Man. Downey is now returning to the MCU in a very different role. He plays Victor von Doom in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, which opens in theaters on December 18.

Bettany, meanwhile, has described ‘VisionQuest’ as a huge creative swing and the final chapter of the story that began with ‘WandaVision’. It is also the last live-action Marvel series before ‘Doomsday’, and Bettany has said he believes he will appear in ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ as well.

With Downey back in a starring role, some fans are already hoping his performance as Doctor Doom could finally earn him an MCU Oscar nomination. If that happens, Bettany will likely be one of the first to cheer.

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