Robert Downey Jr. is one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood. The actor has played numerous characters throughout his career. But one of his most iconic and loved characters is Iron Man. Even since the first Iron Man movie, people loved Downey Jr. in the role and were devastated when the character died in the 2019 Avengers: Endgame. Now, fans hope to see the actor back in the MCU in any way possible, as everyone misses their favorite superhero, Iron Man.
But there was a time when Robert Downey Jr. almost left the MCU and quit playing Iron Man. After this, Marvel Studios had to bring out a new contract for the actor. The new contract included new terms, mostly favoring the actor.
Robert Downey Jr. Almost Left the MCU After Iron Man 3
After the 2008 Iron Man became a massive hit, Robert Downey Jr. reportedly negotiated with the studio to have a percentage of profits from all future films in which he would appear as Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. It led the Dolittle actor to make $50 million with the 2012 Avengers.
Robert Downey Jr. confirmed the news with speculations that Marvel is pissed as he made quite a fortune with the movie. In an interview, he said, “Isn’t that crazy? They’re so pissed. I can’t believe it. I’m what’s known as a strategic cost.”
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He also hinted that with Iron Man 3, he might quit the role, and Marvel would introduce a new Iron Man in the following films. Not just Robert Downey Jr, but many other actors under Marvel Studios were not pleased with what was being offered to them. Director of Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron, Joss Whedon, also said that Marvel can be cheap when it comes to paying their talents.
Later the Sherlock Holmes star also suffered multiple injuries on the set of Iron Man 3. The actor broke his ankle and was told to stay off his ankle for a month and a half. It caused a delay in the production of the film.
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Marvel Studios signs a new contract with Robert Downey Jr.
Like prior Iron Man movies, Iron Man 3 was also a massive hit. And following this, the studio would not have planned to let go of the most popular character. Robert Downey Jr continued his argument for not playing the role. However, the studio was not ready to do so and had to negotiate with Robert Downey Jr.
Marvel Studios then came up with a new contract for The Judge actor. Under this new contract, he demanded that he would not be doing another Iron Man movie but will appear in the following films of the MCU. The studio agreed with his terms after which the actor was seen in future movies.
Reportedly, the Iron Man actor has made over $100 million playing the character for eleven years. He is now the highest-paid actor under the Marvel Studios. According to a Screenrant report, the actor received a total of $75 million for Avengers: Endgame, including $20 million upfront and a percentage of the box office collection.
Robert Downey Jr is currently busy with his upcoming film Oppenheimer, which is set to release on 21 July 2023.
Source: NME
