Robert Downey Jr. will co-star in an HBO drama series directed by Oldboy

Robert Downey Jr. will star in The Sympathizer, an upcoming HBO drama series, in his first significant television role. Downey Jr. just wrapped up a nearly decade-long career as Iron Man, the world’s favourite genius, millionaire, playboy, and philanthropist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The series is based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name from 2015.

RDJ in HBO

HBO and A24 have previously worked together, most notably on the Emmy Award-winning series Euphoria. The Sympathizer, an espionage thriller by Nguyen, is also a parody about the life of a French and Vietnamese communist spy at the end of the Vietnam War and his subsequent exile to the United States.

The novel is both a spy narrative and an investigation of identity, as well as a love story about friendship. Downey is expected to feature in various roles as the main enemy, including a Congresswoman, a CIA operative, and a Hollywood film director, all of whom are said to symbolise distinct factions of the American establishment. The lead role as well as the other ensemble roles have yet to be cast.

The Sympathizer, an espionage thriller by Nguyen, is also a parody about the life of a French and Vietnamese communist spy at the end of the Vietnam War and his subsequent exile to the United States. The novel is a spy narrative, an investigation of identity, and a love story about friendship all at the same time.

Downey is expected to play in various parts as the main enemy, including a Congressman, a CIA operative, and a Hollywood film director, all of whom are said to symbolise distinct factions of the American establishment. The lead part, as well as the other ensemble roles, are yet to be cast.