HBO
Robert Downey Jr’s post-Marvel Cinematic Universe renaissance looks set to continue well into 2024 as the likely soon-to-be Oscar winner is set to star in the HBO series The Sympathizer from acclaimed South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook.
On Thursday, February 15, HBO and MAX released the second official teaser for the upcoming series, which will see Downey Jr. starring in multiple (and bizarre) roles.
Check out the official teaser trailer for The Sympathizer, which will premiere on MAX on April 14, below.
Here is the official synopsis for The Sympathizer, via HBO:
Based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, The Sympathizer is an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his resulting exile in the United States.
Park Chan-wook, the director of the series, is perhaps best known as being the filmmaker behind 2003’s Oldboy, one of the most popular South Korean films ever made. More recently, Park Chan-wook won Best Director at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival for his work on Decision to Leave. Director Spike Lee made an English-language remake of Oldboy in 2013 that starred Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Olsen.
In addition to Downey Jr., The Sympathizer is also set to star Hoa Xuande, Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Ky Duyen, and Sandra Oh. In addition to playing multiple roles, Downey Jr. is also an executive producer of the series.
Downey Jr. is currently the odds-on favorite to win Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards for his work as Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’s widely-acclaimed biographical thriller Oppenheimer.
The 2024 Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 10. Oppenheimer is nominated for 12 other awards at this year’s Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actress.
Other than The Sympathizer, however, Downey Jr. does not have any upcoming projects, or at least ones that have been publicly announced. There’s also been long speculation that he will return as Iron Man for Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027.