While many have been oohing and ahhing over the pics of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, its his work in a less splashy flick that may generate the most talk.

In the upcoming movie, Tropic Thunder, Downey plays an actor who plays a black man in a film he is shooting.  Instead of rewriting a role originally written for an African-American, Robert’s character, Kirk Lazarus, opts to go the method route and dyes his skin.  (You can see him in the picture next to Jack Black.)

This movie already came with buzz attached to it long before Downey’s role was revealed.  This was the film Owen Wilson was attached to at the time of his suicide attempt.

So what do you think?  Should this role be considered controversial? Should it simply be taken into context?  Should we just be happy that it’s not 1986’s Soul Man?