Robert Downey Jr. was a major risk for Marvel when they cast him as Tony Stark / Iron Man, as the success of the movie could make or break the franchise. Kevin Feige and Jon Favreau took that risk, and it paid off immensely, leading to a $29.6 billion grossing franchise. Downey Jr. went from earning a modest $500,000 base salary in his first Iron Man movie to commanding $75 million for his role in Avengers: Endgame.
Despite making a promising debut in movies, The Avengers actor ran into several troubles, including substance abuse and legal issues between 1996 and 2001. The Sherlock Holmes actor got sober in 2003 but struggled to make a significant commercial impact in films until his iconic role as Iron Man in 2008.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Salary And Stardom Soared With Each MCU Outing
Iron Man director, Jon Favreau, fought with Marvel to cast Robert Downey Jr. over other A-listers like Tom Cruise and Nicolas Cage. Considering the risk he was posing, Downey Jr. agreed to a modest salary of half a million (via Celebrity Net Worth). However, he also negotiated a back-end deal that entitled him to a share of the movie’s profits. Iron Man went on to become a groundbreaking success in the superhero genre, earning $585.8 million at the box office.
Downey Jr. earned just over $2 million in total, which he could have easily negotiated as a base salary if not for his troubled past. However, Iron Man’s success not only launched the MCU but also the star power of the Kiss Kiss Bang Bang actor. His basic paycheck rumoredly made a huge jump from $500,000 to $10 million for the second Iron Man movie. Iron Man 2 also made a significant $623 million, meaning the actor got paid handsomely due to the back-end deal.
In the first team-up movie, The Avengers, Robert Downey Jr. emerged as the biggest star among the ensemble cast and was paid more in salary and deals. His base salary remained $10 million for his next three movies, including the two Avengers movies and Iron Man 3. Remarkably, all three movies crossed the billion-dollar mark, and Downey Jr.’s profit shares soared, reaching well over $50 million.
As the Oppenheimer actor played a somewhat antagonistic role in Captain America: Civil War, he negotiated a total salary of $40 million plus back-end deals (via Variety). For the final two Avengers movies, Robert Downey Jr. earned a staggering $75 million each (via The Hollywood Reporter). In Avengers: Endgame, the Tropic Thunder actor out-earned his co-stars with a $20 million base salary (via Forbes) in addition to $55 million in back-end deals.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Salary Even Led Marvel To Consider Some Tough Decisions
Marvel elevated Robert Downey Jr.’s stardom to exceptional levels. Simultaneously, The Judge actor was also instrumental in the success of the Iron Man movies and the entire MCU. Interestingly, Downey Jr. was making less than co-star Terrence Howard in the first Iron Man movie. However, by the time of The Avengers, his third MCU film, the Dolittle actor was the highest-paid actor on set.
The Zodiac actor advocated for a competent salary for his co-stars, some of whom received only $200,000 for their roles in The Avengers, despite the movie’s $1.5 billion success. His contract with Marvel ended after Iron Man 3, and he even refused to return for Age of Ultron unless his co-stars were offered higher pay. Marvel eventually conceded to the demands of the actor, although they were not entirely pleased with the situation.
During the making of Captain America: Civil War, Downey Jr. initially had a smaller role in the film. However, he persuaded the writers to expand his role, thus negotiating a higher payday. Angered by this, Marvel even considered writing Iron Man out of the Captain America film. It would have been one of the dumbest moves if Marvel had gone ahead with it.
All MCU movies featuring Robert Downey Jr. are now available for streaming on Disney+.
