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Robert Downey Jr. is breaking his own record with his new 'Avengers' paychecks
Robert Downey Jr. walked away from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2019 as the highest-paid actor in Hollywood history. His return as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars is coming at an equally eye-watering price.
According to reports, Robert Downey Jr. is set to earn $100 million for his role as Doctor Doom across both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, which would make him the highest-paid actor in Marvel Cinematic Universe history and, by extension, in the history of superhero movies.
Downey Jr’s deal could also be the biggest up-front salary in the history of movies, period. His only realistic competitor is Tom Cruise. While Cruise has earned $75-$100 million from his Mission: Impossible Films and Top Gun: Maverick, those numbers were inflated by his back-end stake, which refers to the percentage of a film’s profits after it’s released. Downey Jr’s $50M-per-film is his base salary.
For comparison, Downey Jr. himself was the previous record-holder in this regard, having made $75 million for both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Co-stars Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans, meanwhile, are earning $40 million each for the same films.
Robert Downey Jr. is reportedly earning $100 million to play Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars
The nine-figure price tag reflects both Downey Jr.’s leverage and Marvel’s growing since the release of Avengers: Endgame in 2019. The studio has been open about the fact that Doomsday and Secret Wars represent a franchise reset — a last-gasp attempt to recapture the cultural dominance the MCU enjoyed during the Infinity Saga.
Bringing back Downey Jr. — who previously served as the heroic centerpiece of the franchise as Tony Star/Iron Man — is the centerpiece of that strategy, and the $100 million figure suggests Marvel paid whatever it took to make it happen.
Alongside Downey Jr., Evans, and Hemsworth, Avengers: Doomsday also stars Pedro Pascal, Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Florence Pugh, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Channing Tatum, Ian McKellen, Tom Hiddleston, James Marsden, Patrick Stewart, Sebastian Stan and many more.
You can check out the official logline and trailer for Avengers: Doomsday, which hits theaters on December 18, below.
“In Avengers: Doomsday, beloved heroes from three distinct universes will be set on a deadly collision course and face an existential threat unlike anything they’ve ever encountered.”