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Robert Downey Jr is reportedly being paid a ridiculous amount of money to return to Marvel.
Last weekend, it was revealed at ComicCon that the Iron Man star, whose character was killed off in Avengers: Endgame, would return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as a completely different character.
Downey Jr’s casting as the Fantastic Four villain Doctor Doom, which has left Kang actor Jonathan Majors “heartbroken”, was announced alongside a new Avengers film, which will be titled Avengers: Doomsday.
While many fans celebrated the return of the actor who has been described as the comic book studio’s former leader, there is a heavy contingent of people who condemned the decision to cast him as Doctor Doom.
Others expressed surprise that Downey Jr would return to the MCU so soon after leaving it, especially as it freed him up to pursue other opportunities. Last year, Downey Jr won Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars for his role in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.
Downey Jr’s paycheck for returning to the MCU has been allegedly revealed, with Variety reporting that the actor will be paid upwards of $80m (£62.7m) for his Doctor Doom appearance.
The report states: “For Downey, who helped catapult Marvel into a money-printing machine thanks to his turn as Tony Stark in the first Iron Man film in 2008, his deal also is filled with perks that include private jet travel, dedicated security and a whole ‘trailer encampment’ for the newly minted Oscar winner.”
Marvel boss Kevin Feige reportedly also secured Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame directing duo the Russo brothers with an $80m (£62.7m) payday. According to the outlet, Downey Jr will cost Marvel “significantly more”.
This would see the actor trounce Adam Sandler as Hollywood’s highest paid star by quite some distance – Forbes revealed earlier this year that Sandler's four films in 2023 propelled him to an annual salary of $73m (£57m).
Add this to the $500-600m (£392-470.5m) that insiders have claimed he has made from his involvement in the MCU to date, and it’s not a bad coup for Downey Jr at all. The Independent has contacted Downey Jr for comment.
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While specific details were not confirmed about his return, the Russo brothers said the actor’s casting was made possible due to the multiverse – a series of different worlds featuring characters old and new, which makes unlimited possibilities available.
This suggests that Downey Jr will be playing a villainous variant of Tony Stark/Iron Man. It’s believed this idea was thought up after the axing of Jonathan Majors from the MCU; his character Kang the Destroyer was originally meant to be the primary villain in a forthcoming Avengers film.
There are comic book readers who don’t like the fact this will detract from Doctor Doom’s rivalry with Fantastic Four characters Reed Richards and Sue Storm, who are set to be played in the MCU by Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby.
The actor first appeared as Iron Man in 2008, and reprised the role in 10 Marvel films across the next 11 years. Downey Jr previously said he would “happily” return to Marvel, stating: “It’s too integral a part of my DNA.”
“When we directed Avengers: Endgame, Joe and I truly believed that it was the end of the road for us in the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” the Russo brothers told Marvel fans at ComicCon. “In the time since, through a very special story, Joe and I have come to potentially see a road forward with you.”
