The Hilarious Story Behind Tony Stark's Avengers Snacking Habit
If there's anything we've learned from Tony Stark, it's that there's always time for a cheeseburger, even if you're moments away from saving the world. There's no other character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that has an appetite quite like his, and he's seen eating and drinking so often that it's become a part of his character trope and the subject of countless fan edits (via YouTube).
Flip through the pages of any of the "Avengers" comic books, however, and you'll discover that Stark's eating habits aren't nearly as prevalent as they are in the movies. This is precisely because it wasn't scripted, but rather something actor Robert Downey Jr. added to his character. According to Cinema Blend, Downey always brought something to snack on while on set, and during long filming days, it inevitably ended up being caught on camera. This of course was not due to the fact that production staff was too lazy to reshoot, or didn't bother telling Downey to put down the food. The reason was simply that Downey didn't inform anyone beforehand that he would be eating during the scene, and everyone just went with it because it worked well with the character and provided comic relief in otherwise dramatic scenes.
Robert Downey Jr. hid food all over the set
Huff Post reports that Robert Downey Jr. not only eats on camera, but also has secret stashes of food hidden around the set so he's able to eat whatever and whenever he wants. His favorite food of all time happens to be one he shares with Tony Stark — a cheeseburger, but not just any cheeseburger. In a 2014 interview with Vanity Fair (posted on YouTube), Downey explained there's a specific way he likes them. "I want bacon on it — I know I'm not supposed to — I want a lot of cheese, I want thousand island, I might even put some Mulberry Street pizza oil on it." Downey went on to add that he doesn't limit himself to cheeseburgers, and says, "If I could eat what I wanted everyday I would have Domino's pizza with pasta carbonara inside every slice."
These eating habits, however, are not reserved exclusively for Marvel movies. Fellow actor and co-star Vincent D'Onofrio confirmed that Downey's food hiding happened on the set of their film "The Judge" too, and likely Downey's other movies as well. "I'm not going to tell you why. But he does. It makes perfect sense," D'Onofrio told host Marc Lamont Hill in an interview with HuffPost. Whatever Downey's reasons may be, they certainly made for some iconic moments in the "Avengers" movies.