The surprise was a success: At the Comic-Con in San Diego this weekend, it was revealed that Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe five years after his departure. However, he will no longer be wearing the Iron Man mask. Instead, he will appear as Villain Doctor Doom in front of the camera.
Downey Jr. is set for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. His Marvel return is not just a no-brainer: The freshly crowned Oscar winner will receive a considerable fee some special requests As it turns out, the directors of the two films were particularly important to Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr. earns $100 million from the next two Avengers films
As Variety reports, Downey Jr. approached Disney and Marvel with a concrete announcement: He will only be involved if Joe Russo and Anthony Russo direct the next two Avengers films. The directing duo knows the MCU very well. In addition to Captain America 2 and 3, the two Avengers 3 and 4 were filmed.
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Robert Downey Jr. swaps Iron Man for Doctor Doom
The Russos are said to receive a fee of 80 million US dollars each for Doomsday and Secret Wars. Variety writes that Downey Jr.’s sum is significantly more. How much? The usually reliable Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider names the figure in his newsletter: 50 million US dollars per film.
This would mean that Downey Jr. would earn a whopping $100 million with Avengers 5 and Avengers 6 – and that doesn’t even include profit sharing. According to Sneider, the fee could double by the end of theatrical releasewhen the films reach certain box office milestones.
It should come as no surprise that Disney and Marvel are digging so deep into their pockets. Downey Jr. is still the face of the MCUTo sweeten the deal, the actor was also promised a private jet, his own security team and an entire trailer camp during filming.
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Private jet in the MCU (not Robert Downey Jr.’s)
So far, Downey Jr. has appeared in four Avengers and three Iron Man films, as well as appearances in Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming, not to mention his cameo in The Incredible Hulk. According to Variety, he has earned between 500 and 600 million US dollars earned.
When will Avengers 5 and Avengers 6 be released in theaters?
Filming for Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2025, so that the film can be released on 29 April 2026 in cinemas. Avengers: Secret Wars follows about a year later. May 5, 2027 Robert Downey Jr. faces the Avengers as Doctor Doom in a storyline that could change the MCU forever.