It’s a wild time for Marvel Studios as they are entering a giant gamble. Robert Downey Jr. had a shocking return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe this past week, and the nerd world is still reeling from this news. However, this latest report could be just as wild.
Variety broke a story following the report of Downey Jr. playing Doctor Doom that the actor could be seeing a historic payday for starring in Avengers: Doomsday and its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars. He’s not alone; returning filmmakers, the Russo Brothers, are also set to bank.
The report quoted that Marvel is spending $80 million to get the Russos onboard to direct the following two Avengers films, produced through their AGBO banner. While steep, the numbers for RDJ are even higher.
Presenting Victor Von Doom.
Robert Downey Jr. stars in Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday, in theaters May 2026. #SDCC pic.twitter.com/xWQx9owZjG
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) July 28, 2024
It’s noted that Downey Jr. will receive “significantly more” than what the directors were offered to play Doctor Doom across the two films. The actor would also receive multiple perks, including private jet travel, dedicated security, and a ‘trailer encampment.’ One of the more interesting notes is that RDJ wouldn’t have returned without the Russos.
Some of the largest paydays for actors in one film include Tom Cruise for Mission: Impossible 2 and Will Smith for Men in Black 3, at $100 million each. Robert Downey Jr.’s largest income for a Marvel movie was around $75 million for Avengers: Infinity War.
Returning to the brother filmmaking duo for a moment, the report noted that they won’t have a back-end compensation deal but will receive ‘performance escalators’ when Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars pass the $750 million and $1 billion thresholds, respectively.
Shooting for the new Avengers starts in London around the second half of 2025. Stay tuned to Flickering Myth for more updates.
