While Marvel is known for its unexpected twists and turns, Robert Downey Jr.’s casting as Doctor Doom in the upcoming “Avengers” films was certainly not on our 2024 bingo card. Now that it’s official, all that’s left is to enjoy the news!
The announcement comes as a surprise, but it’s clear that Marvel needed a major boost after removing Jonathan Majors from the MCU following abuse allegations. Although there were initial rumors that Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange was going to take the lead in “Avengers 5,” it’s now Downey Jr. who will be stepping into the role of the antagonist in both “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars.”
Once again, he has become a top internet trend. The buzz not only revolves around his wealth in 2024 but also on how much he will be paid to star as the villain in Marvel’s most significant upcoming projects.
What will Robert Downey Jr. be paid for his Doctor Doom role in the next Avengers films?
The “Oppenheimer” actor has been a constant subject of discussions and even controversy due to the substantial salaries he has received over the years as a prominent name in the MCU. Whenever there are talks about the fortunes of his co-stars, Robert Downey Jr.’s name invariably comes up for comparison.
Robert Downey Jr. attends the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations “The Sympathizer” at Paley Center For Media on June 10, 2024 in New York City. (Source: Manny Carabel/Getty Images for SAG-AFTRA)
And it’s no wonder why. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Robert Downey Jr. was paid $500,000 for the first “Iron Man,” earned $10 million for “Iron Man 2,” and, with backend points, accumulated $70 million for “Iron Man 3.” Additionally, Screen Rant reports that he earned the same amount for each of the four “Avengers” films.
Given that Robert Downey Jr. has a good percentage of the production’s profits or box office earnings, and considering “Avengers: Endgame” grossed $2.799 billion, we can expect him to take home at least $80 million for each of the upcoming installments.
But what is his initial payment? Variety revealed that Jonathan Majors was set to be paid $20 million for starring as the main antagonist in these movies, so it is quite probable that this is the base for Robert Downey Jr.’s salary. Plus, this is exactly the amount that his co-stars earn without being involved with backend points, so the math adds up.
