Robert Downey Jr. Can’t Save This AI-Inspired Broadway Show

2024 has truly been a standout year for Robert Downey Jr. After securing an Oscar for his role in Oppenheimer and an Emmy nomination for his performance in HBO’s The Sympathizer, Downey continues to dominate headlines.

Robert’s latest venture, McNeal, a provocative Broadway play at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater, adds to his already impressive lineup.

A Complex Plot Centered On Controversial Themes

Written by Pulitzer Prize-winner Ayad Akhtar, McNeal follows Jacob McNeal (Downey), a literary giant recently diagnosed with end-stage liver failure. At the same time, McNeal learns he has won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

The news coincides with the upcoming release of his novel Evie, but soon, plagiarism accusations overshadow the success, threatening both his reputation and the book’s launch.

Throughout the play, McNeal grapples with modern issues. From AI to the disillusionment of youth culture, the character delivers tirades reminiscent of a Bill Maher rant, often coming off as abrasive.

He mocks contemporary life, jabbing at texting slang and social media, all while making inappropriate comments, such as referring to a South Asian assistant in a racist joke and degrading a Black journalist by calling her a “diversity hire.” McNeal also bizarrely admires Harvey Weinstein during a drunken interview, claiming, “Guys like him were getting what they wanted.”

An Unlikable Protagonist With Limited Depth And The AI Debate

Despite its potential, McNeal suffers from character issues. Unlike some of television’s most notorious and morally flawed characters—like Lydia Tár or the Roy family in HBO’s Succession—McNeal lacks depth. The play never fully explores the character’s emotional struggles, making him tiresome to watch, despite Downey’s natural charisma.

This Broadway run marks Downey’s return to the stage after his 1983 stint in the off-Broadway musical American Passion. Unlike many celebrities who debut with established classics, Downey chose this new, edgy work, which attempts to blend controversial topics with introspection.

The theme of AI threads loosely through the narrative. Often presented as an existential threat, McNeal denounces chatbots, arguing that they pacify us with comforting lies and shield us from harsh truths like death. At one point, McNeal even experiments with writing an entire book using ChatGPT, though the play never delves deeply into the implications of AI’s role in art and life.

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McNeal’ Lacks Depth Despite Its Star Power

Visually, McNeal impresses, thanks to Jake Barton’s projections and Michael Yeargan’s scenic design. At several points in the show, enormous iPhone screens and an AI-generated portrait of Downey loom over the stage, bringing to life the technological theme. Despite these aesthetic strengths, the play leaves many of its philosophical questions unresolved.

While McNeal attempts to provoke, it struggles to find its soul, and even Broadway treasures like Andrea Martin and Ruthie Ann Miles, who briefly appear as McNeal’s frantic agent and concerned doctor, respectively, are underused. Ironically, the play feels like the type of empty provocation that McNeal himself would likely scoff at.

McNeal runs through November 24 at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater.

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