The first picture of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man has popped up online over at USA Today. You can see a smaller version of it to your right, in which Downey stands over a forge creating what we assume is his first version of the Iron Man mask. That thing on his chest isn’t a built in boob phone for anywhere ordering of pizza, it’s probably Stark’s high-tech pacemaker, though you’d think they’d install something like that under his shirt, wouldn’t you?

Aside from the rather cool pic, the USA Today piece is pretty fascinating. Downey and Iron Man director Jon Favreau talk openly about Robert’s past substance abuse problems and how both think that’s a real asset to playing this character. Robert Downey Jr. seems to really identify with Tony Stark, and apparently is also some kind of closeted comic nerd.

He also says he’s really changed his ways, and it sounds like doing Iron Man is important to him. He says, “I want to show Jon he was right to have faith in me. Whatever questions might have arisen about my life weren't issues with him.” Check out the full article here.