Action man Robert Downey Jr.

Jan 29, 2010, 6:02 GMT

Robert Downey Jr. has no plans to swap action roles for more serious ones as he gets older.

The actor - who can be seen bare-knuckle boxing in 'Sherlock Holmes' and performs many of his own stunts in upcoming superhero movie 'Iron-Man 2' - is enjoying his new reputation as a big screen hero and has no plans to turn his back on the genre.

Downey, 44, said: "If the material is still good and you still like to work with the people - why not? 'Sherlock Holmes' was a life-changing experience. That's due to the extensive research we did and because I could actually realise such a big project. I would still play characters like Sherlock in the future. Although, I will probably have another child and an alcohol free vineyard by then."

The actor - who is married to producer Susan Levin and has a 16-year-old son Indio with his ex-wife Deborah Falconer - has been enjoying shooting 'Iron-Man 2' but admits it has been hard work getting in and out of his suit.

Downey - who plays the metal-clad Marvel Comics character - revealed to website Film Reporter: "Well the suit was a bit lighter, but not light enough for my liking. I had more self-confidence shooting the second film, but I wouldn't say we had fun. We wanted to take more time. We extended the cast and our horizon und made the story more complex and subtle, although it's still easy to follow. We really looked into the storyline thoroughly to make it as good as possible."

Downey stars in the movie with Gwyneth Paltrow, who reprises her role as his assistant Pepper Potts, Scarlett Johansson - who plays Natasha Romanoff and her sexy alter-ego, Russian spy Black Widow - and Mickey Rourke, who plays super-villain Whiplash.

Samuel L. Jackson also features as super-spy Nick Fury.