Robert Downey Jr.’s Monstrous Salary to Play Doctor Doom Will Make Your Jaw Drop
- Robert Downey Jr. is reportedly returning as Doctor Doom to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- He will be paid a whopping salary of $100 million for the Avengers movies with Russo brothers taking home $80 million.
- Downey Jr. may just surpass Tom Cruise to be the highest paid Hollywood actor.
Things seemingly went downhill for Marvel after Robert Downey Jr. wrapped up his role as Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame. The massive Infinity saga came to an end, leaving fans hungry for more. However, Marvel was unable to deliver on the same grandeur that once set it apart from other superhero studios. It felt like Downey Jr. was their lucky charm who took all the success and people’s love with him as he left.
So, bringing him back seemed like the best option for the Russo Brothers, who were again roped in to infuse the same excitement and splendor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At this year’s Cinema-Con, they revealed that Downey Jr. will be returning to the MCU in an all-new avatar – Doctor Doom.
The MCU is credited with catapulting Downey Jr. to new heights of success and consolidating his position as one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood. His role in Oppenheimer showered him with immense praise and accolades, proving to everyone how superhero movies can also make your career.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Paycheck for Doctor Doom
Playing Iron Man on the big screen for over a decade made Robert Downey Jr. the crown jewel of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His unique ability to blend sarcasm, wit, and emotion in the same scene set him apart from his co-stars who all eventually became the Avengers family. His character’s death in the previous phase left everyone devasted with fans losing interest in the franchise altogether.
The Oppenheimer actor’s return to the MCU was celebrated with much vigor as people just wanted the actor to bring back the golden days of Marvel with him. And why wouldn’t he, considering he’s getting paid a ton of money to do so?
More specifically, per Variety, Downey Jr. will be raking in millions, including set inclusions in the deal like private jet travel and personal security details. The Oscar-winner is taking full advantage of his position and leveraging his talent for the betterment of the Marvel studios.
It is reported that the actor is reportedly making $100 million for his deal with Marvel which is just the base salary. The performance-based incentive comes in after the movies cross the $750 million and $1 billion benchmarks. This could easily double Downey Jr.’s payday and make him richer than most actors’ entire net worth with just two movies. Talk about incredible star power!
At the same time, Marvel will be paying $80 million for Anthony and Joe Russo to direct the Avengers movies. This was reportedly one of Downey Jr.’s conditions for returning since he was adamant about only working with the Russo brothers.
How will Robert Downey Jr. return as Doctor Doom?
When the Russo Brothers reached out to Robert Downey Jr. and asked him to return, the actor wished to have a substantial storyline and a way to bring him back that did not become jarring for the audience. Iron Man had died fighting Thanos and no magical spell could bring him back to life. In one universe, however.
Marvel played the winning game when it introduced the multiverse with Spider-Man and the tangled timelines with Loki to throw the Marvel Cinematic Universe wide open. Now, they have a chance to play around with different universes and characters, adding more diversity and electric energy to future projects.
This is how the director duo will bring Downey Jr. back into the fold, perhaps showing another universe where Tony Stark flaunts the green cape instead of the armored suit. Downey Jr.’s return has done exactly what the brothers envisioned – make fans beyond excited and eager to watch the actor on the big screen again. Without a doubt, Downey Jr. is capable of handling this mammoth task as the future of the MCU hinges on his shoulders.
Other Highest-Paid Hollywood Actors
The movie industry is as dynamic as it is exciting. The who’s who of Hollywood have cashed massive paychecks for their roles in different movies, eventually taking their net worth to higher amounts.
With Avengers: Secret Wars and Avengers: Doomsday, Downey Jr. will join the ranks of actors like Tom Cruise who earned $100 million for his role in Top Gun: Maverick. In fact, if the performance earnings double the Iron Man actor’s paycheck, then he will become the highest-paid Hollywood actor.
More celebrities including Keanu Reeves earned $156 million for the Matrix movies, Sandra Bullock made $70 million for her role in Gravity, and Daniel Craig raked in $100 million for Netflix’s Knives Out movies. Such actors command a higher paycheck because of their standing in the industry and the amount of fans they pull into the theatres.
