According to a report by Variety, the Oscar-winning actor agreed to return to the MCU on the condition that the Russo brothers would direct these films.
It's quite surreal how time flies, and changes everything! Back in the mid-2000s, Robert Downey Jr was not a top choice of anybody at Marvel Studios to play Iron Man aka Tony Stark. And even though he finally bagged the role, he was paid very little for it - much less than many of his co-stars. That film, 'Iron Man' (2008), not only transformed the fortune of his career but also gave birth to a new era of storytelling in American cinema. Cut to today, Downey is a global phenomenon and is a recipient of several accolades including an Academy Award. The announcement of his return to the MCU takes the world by storm, leaving everyone eagerly excited about it. Now he is in a position where he can demand (rightfully though) hefty paychecks for his work.
And…I…Am…Iron Man!
Well, according to reports, RDJ is receiving a "fat paycheck" for his role as Dr. Doom in 'Avengers: Doomsday' and 'Avengers: Secret Wars'. While the exact amount is not disclosed, it's reportedly "significantly more" than what The Russos are receiving ($80 million) from the Studios. Besides, he also has perks like private jet travel, dedicated security, and a whole trailer encampment in his contract.
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Robert Downey Jr will play Dr. Doom in the next two Avengers films
"New mask, same task,” said the actor about his new role, Dr, Doom.
However, in this article, let's learn how much he was paid for playing Iron Man in all MCU films.
Robert Downey Jr was experiencing a downfall in his career when he was cast as Iron Man. He was considered a “risky investment” for several reasons, and hence Marvel Studios wasn't keen on paying him big for the role. According to reports, he received a paycheck of $500,000 - which was the lowest among all his co-stars.
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Robert Downey Jr in and as ‘Iron Man’
Notably, upon its theatrical release, 'Iron Man' emerged as a massive commercial success, collecting over $585 million worldwide. And that paved his way for more MCU films along the way.
Thanks to the mammoth commercial success of 'Iron Man', the second installment was announced soon, marking Robert Downey Jr's return to the big screen as Iron Man. And for this film, the actor received a whopping $10 million, becoming one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors at that time.
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Robert Downey Jr and Scarlett Johansson in a still from ‘Iron Man 2’
Made on a budget of $170–200 million, the film grossed over $623.9 million worldwide.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was established by the time 'The Avengers' came to theatres. Besides RDJ as Iron Man, this film also featured Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Captain America (Chris Evans) among others. However, RDJ was the highest-paid among all them with a remuneration of $50 million.
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Robert Downey Jr in a still from 'The Avengers'
The film grossed over $1.519 billion worldwide against a budget of $220–225 million.
Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man became such a rage among cinephiles that Marvel Studios had to bring him back again in a solo hero film. ‘Iron Man 3’ failed to retain the essence of its predecessors, however, was still a blockbuster with a gross of $1.215 billion. And RDJ's salary was $50 Million, which was 1/4th of the film's total budget.
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Robert Downey Jr in a still from ‘Iron Man 3’
And this became the base salary of RDJ for his work in the next MCU films. For 'Avengers: Age Of Ultron', he received a staggering $70-80 million. It was $64 million for 'Captain America: Civil War', $10-15 million for 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' (cameo), and $75 million each for 'Avengers: Infinity War' and 'Avengers: Endgame'.
