Robert Downey Jr.? Really? Yes. Really. In fact, director Jon Favreau has confirmed -- on his MySpace page, no less -- that Downey will play Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man in the film adaptation of the popular comic book series. Here's what Favrea wrote:

"It is true. Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark. I am about as excited as I can be.
I saw what he can do and he is extremely enthusiastic about playing Stark. I can
say with absolute certainty that there is no better choice. The humor and
emotional dimension he brings truly raises the bar on this project. Get ready."

Yeah! Right on, Favs!!!

Personally, I love Downey. Troubled as he may be, he's fantastic actor, maybe
even a brilliant one. "Natural Born Killers"? Brilliant. "Chaplin"? Outstanding.
"Kiss Kiss Bang Bang"? Superb. And he was great on "Ally McBeal," too.

Oh God, did I just write that?

Sure did. Moving on. I'm intrigued to see what Downey can do as a superhero in a
comic book movie. It's about time he gets a leading role in a movie that can be
a bog hit and showcase his talent. Maybe this will be Downey's "Pirates
of the Caribbean," I don't know (personally, I always Downey was better than
Johnny Depp, but anyway). Not to make light of Downey's past struggles with
substance abuse, but I can't think of a better actor to play Stark, the
alcoholic billionaire and industrial genius who becomes Iron Man (if you recall,
the longstanding rumor was that Tom Cruise would play Stark). Plus, I think that
Favreau is the kind of director that can make it all work -- the acting, the
action, the humor, the CGI and the character drama. "Made" is one of my favorite
films, and "Elf" was susprisingly funny.

Of course, I'm a little worried that we won't see enough of Downey because he
may be hidden behind CGI armor for a lot of the film. And I don't like the fact
that Favreau has said the current "Iron Man" script won't really deal with
Stark's personal demons, which is part of what makes Iron Man such a compelling
superhero (an orphaned boy genius with a damaged heart who become a an alcoholic
billionaire weapons developer for the U.S. government). In any event, kudos to
Paramount, Favreau and Downey for pulling this one together. It could be the
best casting decision of the year.