Robert Downey Jr. May Defy 'Gravity' For Alfonso Cuaron

Last month, we heard the news that Angelina Jolie was looking to star in Gravity, a science fiction film to be directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Only a few days later, it was revealed that Jolie had passed on the project so she can adopt more third world children, leaving the film star-less and possibly in trouble.

Well...Iron Man to the rescue!

Deadline is reporting that Robert Downey Jr. is in talks to headline this nifty-sounding movie, which will, of course, by in "Eye-Popping, Mind-Belting, Ball-Busting 3D!" Before you think they're pulling a reverse Flightplan and rewriting the role that was offered to Jolie, hear this:

"[Downey] will play the leader of a team posted at a remote space station. While he and a female colleague are traveling outside the space station, the other team members are decimated by debris from an exploded satellite."

Interesting. The previous reports had suggested that this movie was a real one-woman show, think Moon with a sexy star instead of a disheveled Sam Rockwell, so it's interesting to know that while "much of the film is devoted to her struggle to get back to Earth and her daughter," there will be a male counterpart and/or foil to bounce off. In my previous report on this project, I commented that Jolie needed to get back into the A-Game and find roles that justify her fame and popularity. I honestly think an intimate but exciting 3D science fiction adventure opposite the genuinely beloved Robert Downey Jr. would have been the way to go.

Oh well. Her loss.

But hey! Downey Jr. in an Alfonso Cuaron film! The director's first since the still-transcendentally great Children of Men! And it's a real science fiction story that's not tailored to children or have a "2" in the title! I can't use enough exclamatory sentences to convey my excitement for this team-up!

This is looking to get rolling soon, with the ever-busy Downey squeezing it in before getting to work on Sherlock Holmes 2: The Search For Watson's Gold. This is a production I will follow with much joy and anticipation.