We are fans and critics of our own work: 'Avengers' actor Robert Downey Jr

SINGAPORE: Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr, known to fans internationally as the iconic Iron Man, believes the upcoming film "Avengers: Infinity War" may be the best work to come from the Marvel franchise till date.

The 53-year-old actor, who completes 10 years in MCU this year, said the team always tries to do a better job from the previous films and this time with "Infinity War", they may have "nailed it".

The upcoming film is inarguably one of the largest superhero gatherings, with Guardians of Galaxy pitching in to help the Avengers thwart Thanos (played by Josh Brolin), being touted the deadliest villain they ever faced, from collecting all the Infinity Stones.

"We might be making the movies but we also are fans and critics of our own work. We try to make it better. But I think this time, we might have nailed it," Downey Jr said at a press conference for the film here. The actor was accompanied by co-actors Benedict Cumberbatch (Dr Strange) and Karen Gillian (Nebula).

When asked how Cumberbatch felt to be a part of a film franchise that was completing 10 years, the actor said it was "a little intimidating" for him to step on to the sets of a film which boasts of "iconic characters as well as iconic actors".

"It feels a little intimidating, to be frank. When you first step on to a set with a roster of iconic characters as well as iconic actors and then you go about doing your day's work and forget about the numbers of 18 plus films and 14 plus billion dollars.

"All the rest of it and always wishing that all the success leads to a point when you're own started to do. With directors and extraordinary cast and crew and you're playing. You're just free to plus it to keep getting better and be free to enjoy," the actor, who returns in the latest Marvel offering, said.

Cumberbatch, 41, first starred in the eponymous role in 2016's "Doctor Strange". He reprised the part of the Sorcerer Supreme in the 2017 film "Thor: Ragnarok" and is expected to return in the untitled Avengers 4. 

When asked what Gillan had to say about being a rare antagonist to survive, she said she was "honoured".

Gillan's Nebula was an out-and-out villain in "Guardians of Galaxy", but after confrontation with Zoe Saldana's Gamora in the 2017 sequel, her character arc took a more positive trajectory.

The 30-year-old actor said, "I'm honoured. It's very exciting to get to be in more than one Marvel movie. I love the character that initially was a villain."

"Then we got to know her back story and started to question whether she was a villain or not. It's just the best. This is the weirdest sensation in the world." 

To which Downey Jr quipped, "That's for sale. You can buy one later."

Also starring, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, and Chris Pratt, the film releases on April 27.