Bodog Beat

Maybe when he was strung out on coke Robert Downey Jr. pictured a scene like this. (Courtesy of Paramount Films)

For a guy whose career was in the bag about a decade ago, Robert Downey Jr. is sure turning up in a lot of films this year. One of the unlikeliest actors to be cast as a Marvel comics superhero will debut as "Iron Man" on May 2 when he plays Tony Stark, a billionaire who puts on full body armor to save the world.

Downey recently revealed he will also be making a cameo in the next “Incredible Hulk” movie. Apparently the Hulk and Iron Man will team up to save the world (what else?). If that’s not enough, the one-time Oscar nominee is also playing a small but controversial role in an upcoming Ben Stiller flick.

In a summer of comic-book and comic book-inspired blockbusters, Downey’s Iron Man may be the most anticipated because it’s not a sequel and it features an outstanding cast that includes Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard.

It will also be the first comic pic out of the box, beating the fourth “Indiana Jones” film to the screen by about three weeks.

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