Robert Downey Jr. was entertaining as usual when he took the stage to accept his Disney Legends award on Friday at D23 Expo, where he joked about getting arrested at Disneyland and praised Christina Aguilera's surprise performance of her 1998 Mulan hit, "Reflection."
"I'm a mess after Aguilera came up," Downey admitted as he took the stage to accept his Disney Legends award. Fellow honoree Aguilera began the ceremony by belting out "Reflection," and Downey told the crowd, "That's one of my favorite songs, I'm like, 'How am I supposed to come up and talk after that?'"
Downey and Aguilera were among this year's class of inductees during the studio's D23 Expo, along with the likes of Jon Favreau, James Earl Jones, Bette Midler, Robin Roberts and more. Downey's name alone elicited massive applause from the Marvel-loving legions assembled to celebrate the Iron Man actor -- and his acceptance speech was peak RDJ.
"The first time I went to Disneyland," he began, "I was transported to a different place within moments of being arrested. I was brought to a surprisingly friendly processing center, given a stern warning and returned to, if memory serves, one very disappointed group chaperone."
"I would like to make amends to whomever had to detain me for smoking pot in a gondola without a license," Downey deadpanned. "I've been sitting on that shame for a while now."
On a more serious note, Downey thanked the team at Marvel Studios and singled out Favreau, who directed him in Iron Man, as well as fans who made his success as Tony Stark possible right up till the end. (Avengers: Endgame, Downey's final appearance in the franchise, is officially the highest grossing film in history.)
"Playing Tony over these many years [has] been a really worthwhile and ongoing meditation," he concluded. "I get to remain a fan of the first inclusive and evolving cinematic universe ever. Here's to the future."
