Gerard Butler has been holding down the fort for action movies for the last decade or so with offerings like Geostorm and the Has Fallen franchise. While he’s been a reliable action hero, the superhero genre has really frequently been dominating the action field courtesy of stars like Robert Downey Jr. Despite the MCU’s dominance, Downey Jr. has been a low-key fan of Butler’s Olympus movies. The former MCU star took his love for the movies even further by sending the Plane star a sweet email of support.
Butler brought up the sweet moment while speaking with Uproxx about his latest action flick Plane. Following the Plane trailer’s release and just ahead of this weekend’s theatrical release, the frequent action star spoke about his character, pilot Brodie Torrance, being a real-life hero compared to the typical DC and Marvel superheroes. While superheroes have remained a consistent force, the Hollywood star spoke to Downey Jr. showing his support for more traditional action flicks in a lovely email.
Well, it’s funny because Robert Downey Jr. wrote me the nicest email after Olympus Has Fallen. This is the same vibe. He’s like, ‘We need more of these movies.’ These are the movies, when I was in New York as a kid, and people would shout at the screen and throw things and be like, ‘No!,’ and applaud and cheer. And I think that’s what this movie is, it’s a throwback to that, where literally you’re in the energy of the group and everybody’s either terrified or cheering you on.
So, RDJ is an action film head just like a lot of his audiences. Showing his support for Butler and the Has Fallen movies harkened back to his days as a New York kid watching movies in the cinema. Butler’s Mike Banning has remained a stabilizing force throughout the films. The intense testosterone, non-stop action sequences, and high stakes recalled the heyday of 1980s and 1990s action icons Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Bruce Willis.
The Olympus franchise has connected with moviegoers as the series has grossed over $523 million worldwide. There is currently a fourth film, Night Has Fallen, in development with Butler and director Ric Roman Waugh set to return following the former’s lawsuit over underpaid wages against Olympus’ home, Millennium Films. It is currently unknown when production will start or when the third flick will hit the movie release schedule. There are two more sequels and a TV spinoff reportedly being developed as well. Plus, the Angel Has Fallen star will keep the action train going by starring in the upcoming thriller Kandahar.
As you wait for Mike Banning’s theatrical return, check out the Has Fallen franchise across different streaming platforms. Olympus Has Fallen and Angel Has Fallen are currently available through a Hulu subscription. London Has Fallen is available for viewing through a Netflix subscription. In the meantime, you can catch Gerard Butler in Plane, which is currently in theaters.