Robert Downey Jr. invited a nervous Marvel newbie to his personal on-set ‘village’ after he made him laugh

Celebrities may seem larger than life, but they can also get starstruck, just like us—especially when it comes to Robert Downey Jr. (RDJ). This leads us to wonder, who does RDJ himself get starstruck by? Perhaps aliens, but we digress. Today, we’re sharing a delightful story about Daniel Brühl’s experience visiting RDJ’s on-set “village” during their time filming together.

Brühl currently stars in *The Franchise*, a satirical comedy on Max that takes a humorous look at the chaos surrounding the making of a blockbuster superhero film titled “Tecto: Eye of the Storm.” His character, a struggling director named Eric, finds himself in a whirlwind of problems as he tries to pull off the production, which inevitably leads to comedic situations.

In a recent interview, Brühl opened up about the nerves he felt meeting RDJ, even after starring alongside him in *Captain America: Civil War* as Baron Zemo. He recounted their first day on set, where he made a joke that had RDJ laughing uncontrollably. “I came to this gigantic park like the new kid at school. I really felt like a schoolboy again,” he said. “I remember the first day I had with Downey Jr. We had a scene together, and I made some sort of joke, and he laughed forever. He then said, ‘Oh, you are funny, do you have allergies?’ I was like, ‘Allergies?'”

The fun escalated when Brühl received a surprising invitation while enjoying a burrito: “Somebody knocked at my door to say, ‘You have cordially been invited to Robert Downey Jr.’s village to have lunch.’ I was like, ‘Village?’ I put down my burrito and was driven there.” Can you imagine being invited to a celebrity’s exclusive village on a Marvel set? It’s a surreal experience most of us can only dream about.

Upon arriving, Brühl encountered a big fence and a bouncer guarding the entrance. Once inside, he was greeted by RDJ, who made him feel right at home. “He treated me so nicely, gave me a present, and I was like, ‘This is a dear diary moment’. I was super starstruck.” It’s a moment to cherish for sure!

How big was this “village”? According to a 2016 article, it comprised five large campers, leading to some jealousy among his co-stars. Paul Bettany, who portrays Vision in the MCU, humorously pointed out, “Robert actually has the smallest trailer. He just has another four trailers around it.”

Looking ahead, RDJ will have the chance to bring back his village vibe as he takes on the role of Dr. Doom in the upcoming *Avengers: Doomsday*. As for Brühl, he draws inspiration for his character from a real-life experience working on what he described as a “total disaster” of a film, which he wisely chose not to name. “The ship slowly sank the minute I arrived basically, and there was no way out,” he shared. “I remember my sad, grey face every evening, looking in front of the mirror, trying to encourage myself to survive the rest of the journey.”

All in all, it’s a charming tale of celebrity encounters, revealing that even the stars have their moments of awe and wonder!