Robert Downey Jr. Shapeshifts into 4 Villains

The latest look into HBO and A24’s The Sympathizer features espionage, intrigue and four versions of Robert Downey Jr.

The trailer released by Max on Thursday places viewers in 1975 Vietnam, during the tail end of the war between the country’s north and south regions. Cutting between Vietnam and the U.S., the trailer shows North Vietnamese spy Captain (played by Hoa Xuande) encountering the likes of Sandra Oh and Downey Jr., 58, who plays four antagonistic roles in the limited series.

The Sympathizer also stars Fred Nguyen Khan, Duy Nguyễn, Vy Le and Alan Trong. 

“Let’s get down, let’s get funky!” Downey declares while dressed in tourist garb and a sun hat.

Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen, the upcoming HBO series follows Captain, a mole embedded in the South Vietnam army. At the end of the war, he is forced to flee to the U.S. with his general (played by Toan Le). While in America, he continues to report back to the Viet Cong as he grapples with his dual loyalties. 

Following his best supporting actor win at the 2024 Oscars, Downey teased his Sympathizer role to PEOPLE, saying, “I got other tricks up my sleeve.”

“It wasn’t particularly subtle, it wasn’t meant to be, but I’m already proud of what I’ve seen,” the Oppenheimer actor said.

In a February 2024 trailer for the thriller, Xuande’s Captain faces scrutiny from both his Vietnamese and American allegiances. “Maybe there is no spy,” Captain suggests.

“Only the spy says there’s no spy,” one of Downey’s villains then says.

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The seven-part series was filmed in late 2022 and early 2023. During production, The Avengers star was snapped on set with bleached eyebrows and curly red hair over a receding hairline. The Oscar winner, who is also credited as an executive producer on the show, shared a video on Instagram of his kids shaving his head in preparation for the role.

“The things we do for our work… and our kids. #Sympathizer set ready,” he captioned the clip. 

The Sympathizer premieres April 14 on Max.