Since wrapping up his legendary run in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Robert Downey Jr. has faced high expectations for his future roles. The actor has become one of the most famous in Hollywood over the years, following Downey Jr.’s near-perfect casting as Iron Man back in 2008. However, he eventually departed from the MCU with Avengers: Endgame.

The actor has now returned to the Marvel franchise in a different role; he will play Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. But in 2019, he had a lot of pressure to live up to his previous blockbuster role. Unfortunately, Downey Jr.’s two post-Endgame movies were a mixed bag, showcasing the best and worst of his career.

Dolittle Is Currently Trending On Netflix

According to FlixPatrol, Robert Downey Jr.’s Dolittle is currently trending, ranking number 8 among the Top 10 Movies on Netflix. The 2020 family adventure film, which is based on Hugh Lofting’s book, The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, follows a reclusive veterinarian (Downey) who can talk to animals, and features a rather impressive cast. However, the movie received less-than-stellar reviews.

Given its source material, Dolittle was expected to be a fun, family-friendly hit, but failed to connect with critics, earning a shockingly low 15% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes. Furthermore, its $251.5 million worldwide box office earnings fell short of the $175 million production budget (which increased even more after reshoots), making it one of 2020’s biggest box office flops.

Our Take On Dolittle’s Streaming Success

It’s quite surprising to see Dolittle is trending on Netflix, especially considering its disastrous box office run and negative critical reviews. However, Downey Jr.’s box office flop did have quite a positive reaction from audiences, earning a 76% Popcornmeter. With the film’s current ranking in Netflix’s charts, it’s clear audiences are enjoying it a lot more than critics.

The movie has obviously found its audience in casual viewers on streaming, drawing viewers who don’t have the same expectations for the Marvel actor in 2025. Since Dolittle, Downey has starred in Christopher Nolan’s record-breaking Oppenheimer, for which he won an Oscar. This mᴀssive success seemed to undo the critical and commercial failures of his first film post-Endgame.

Furthermore, Downey’s casting as Doctor Doom has already marked a bit of a comeback, returning to Marvel’s blockbuster franchise. Therefore, while Dolittle’s streaming success is surprising at first glance, it also shows that even a film with a 15% Rotten Tomatoes score can find an audience in the right context, and how streaming can give films a second chance.

Sources: FlixPatrol, Rotten Tomatoes