'Iron Man 3' Set Accident Injures Robert Downey Jr.

Iron Man or simply Tony Stark, do anything so physical as what keeps Robert Downey Jr.'s lights on, and something's eventually gotta give, break, pull, strain or tear.

When you're so pivotal to anything as Downey is to Marvel's upcoming "Iron Man 3," there's a grinding halt when it happens.

The 47-year-old Downey is laid up and production on the threequel has been paused following a Wednesday set accident, NBCNews.com reports.

"Robert Downey Jr. sustained an ankle injury on the set of 'Iron Man 3' in Wilmington, N.C., while performing a stunt. There will be a short delay in the production schedule while he recuperates," an NBC statement read. Neither Disney nor Marvel discussed how long production would remain down. Fortunately, NBC claims, the mishap likely won't delay completing the project so much so to shift the planned May 3, 2013 release.

Downey's historically somewhat of a durable hombre. Way back in November 2008, while filming Guy Ritchie's "Sherlock Holmes," the former Academy Award nominee absorbed something that unfortunately sometimes happens when filming a fist-fight: he took what professional wresters would dub a "potato."

Actor Robert Maillet didn't quite pull a punch as he should've, and Downey took knuckles to nose. Though original reports claimed Maillet separated him from his senses, Downey in truth was just knocked down and bloodied.

C'mon, folks. Iron Man ain't goin' out like that.