Tropic Thunder (2009)
Tropic Thunder, released in 2009, achieved significant success as a comedy film, celebrated for its satirical take on Hollywood, actors, and exaggerated military masculinity. However, there is a crucial aspect of the film that would prevent its creation in today’s landscape: Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Kirk Lazarus. Downey Jr., known primarily for his role as Iron Man, played a white actor who portrays the black character Lincoln Osiris by donning blackface within the movie’s fictional storyline. While the film attempted to present Downey’s performance as a parody of blackface, the inclusion of such content would be deemed highly inappropriate and offensive in a contemporary big-budget production, particularly considering Downey’s association with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The understanding and acknowledgment of the historical context and harm caused by blackface have progressed significantly, rendering its inclusion in any comedic context unacceptable by today’s standards.