FacebookAs if we needed another reason to love Robert Downey Jr.
The Iron Man and The Avengers star, who is reprising his role in the upcoming film The Avengers: Age of Ultron, recently became a real-life superhero for a little boy. Alex, 7, was born with a partially developed right arm. Downey recently met the child and presented him with a red and gold bionic arm, made to look just like Iron Man's / Tony Stark's.
The actor posted a video of their encounter on his Facebook page on Thursday. Downey channels his charming on-screen persona, right down to his spiffy suit, and engages in a heartwarming and super Stark-like conversation with the boy. Alex looked just as dapper—even sporting a red bow tie—and as completely adorable.
"Nice bow tie, by the way," Downey tells him. "How were your travels?"
"Was very good," the boy replies politely, smiling knowingly.
He then opens up two cases, one containing Alex's new arm and one containing a larger one for the actor.
"Actually, I think yours might be better than mine," Downey says. "What do you say we both try them on, do a progress report?"
Alex examines his new arm, which features a working light. The two seal the deal with a fist-bump.
"Bang, nailed it!" Downey says.
"Had the absolute privilege of presenting a brand spanking new 3D-printed bionic Iron Man arm to Alex, the most dapper 7-year-old I've ever met," Downey wrote on Facebook.
Alex's artificial arm was built with the help od Microsoft One Note's Collective Project and Limbitless Solutions, a group led by University of Central Florida engineering doctoral student Albert Manero that develops affordable bionic, 3D-printed limbs.
"A huge thank you to Robert Downey Jr. for getting involved and helping raise awareness for the great work Limbitless Solutions is doing," read a message posted on OneNote's Facebook page on Thursday. "Coming together like this is what the #CollectiveProject is all about. Robert, it looks like you might have some competition for your next movie."