Robert Downey Jr. has taken a break from saving the world with snarky one-liners and flying suits to tackle… Broadway! Yes, in late September, RDJ swapped out his arc reactor for a monologue (and possibly some jazz hands) at Lincoln Center Theater, starring in the new production McNeal. And let me tell you, the audience? Star-studded doesn’t even begin to describe it—it was like the Met Gala crashed a Broadway show. No capes allowed, though, sorry.
But let’s cut to the chase: the real juice here is that Johnny Depp, RDJ’s pirate pal and fellow professional heartthrob, was in the audience, probably with a monocle and an opera glass, because that’s how we like to imagine Depp at the theater. After watching his buddy do his thing on stage, Johnny rushed to Instagram faster than Jack Sparrow sprinting away from danger.
In full bromance mode, Depp gushed like a schoolgirl at a boy band concert: “Most fortunate to witness my dear, brilliant friend Bob Downey and the superb cast of McNeal last night at @lctheater. Outstanding! Go see it if you can,” he wrote, presumably while swishing a cup of tea and wearing something fabulously eccentric.
Now, let’s dive into this McNeal play, because it’s not just RDJ delivering quips for two hours. No, this is deep stuff. Picture this: Jacob McNeal (aka RDJ, obviously) is a legendary writer, so legendary he’s practically the literary version of Iron Man, minus the armor and with more tweed jackets. He’s always on the shortlist for the Nobel Prize in Literature, which means he’s that guy who’s basically “almost won” every year. But like any tortured genius, McNeal’s got a few skeletons in the closet. He’s got an estranged son (cue dramatic pause), a new novel that’s probably a best-seller waiting to happen, some old grudges to nurse, and oh yeah, a weird obsession with Artificial Intelligence. Because what’s a modern play without a little robot talk, am I right?
And did I mention the audience for opening night? Let’s just say it was so packed with celebs, you probably couldn’t throw a Playbill without hitting someone famous. Matt Damon was there, looking like he wandered off the set of a Bourne movie. Justin Theroux probably showed up in one of his cool leather jackets that makes us all question our fashion choices.
If you’re in New York and you don’t go see McNeal, you might be missing out on the most epic Marvel reunion that doesn’t involve saving the world. Trust us, even Captain America would approve.
