Robert Downey Jr's 'Doctor Doom' salary revealed: New MCU deal includes one non-negotiable condition

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Robert Downey Jr is set to earn a massive eight-figure salary for his upcoming Marvel role, making him the highest-paid movie actor of all times.

Per Daily Mail, the 59-year-old actor will be receiving a salary of more than $80 million (£62million) for his starring new role in the Avengers universe. However, extensive wheeling and dealing were required to make this happen. 

Robert Downey Jr made the involvement of Russo brothers in the movie a non-negotiable condition for his Marvel return. Variety reports that sources say that Downey made it known that the Russos "were the only ones he would work with. 

To the delight of innumerable fans worldwide, at Comic-Con over the last weekend, it was announced that Downey Jr is making a spectacular comeback to the Marvel Cinematic Universe after bidding an emotional adieu in 2019 through ‘Avengers: Endgame.’

Robert Downey Jr’s remarkable perks at his Marvel return

The Oscar-winning era of ‘Oppenheimer’ who is widely speculated by fans to be in his villain era, was announced to be coming back not as his previous superhero character ‘Iron Man’ but as Marvel supervillain Doctor Doom.

At the Comic-Con on July 27, Marvel boss Kevin Feige declared that along with Downey Jr, the famed director duo of ‘Endgame’ fame, The Russo brothers would be returning too. 

Downey Jr would be returning as ‘Fantastic Four’ villain Doctor Doom in the upcoming two movies - ‘Avengers: Dooms Day’ (2025) and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ (2026). 

Along with the massive salary that the actor is to receive for his new role, he would also be receiving payouts expected in “performance escalators” including a share of box office revenue. 

His contract would also include private jet travel, dedicated security, and a whole “trailer encampment.”

Previously, he earned more than $500 million from his previous outings as Iron Man in four ‘Avengers’ movies, three ‘Iron Man’ outings, and cameos in ‘The Incredible Hulk’, ‘Captain America: Civil War’ and ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming.’

His latest outing as Doctor Doom in the multiverse would see the actor topple the salaries of Bruce Willis in ‘Sixth Sense,’ Tom Cruise in the ‘Top Gun:Maverick,’ and Will Smith in ‘Men in Black 3,’ as the highest-paid movie star of all time.

Robert Downey Jr returns to Marvel universe as Doctor Doom

Robert Downey Jr's thrilling return to the universe was announced by Kevin Feige, 51. He announced that the actor would be stepping into the shoes of villain Victor von Doom, also known as Doctor Doom.

However, before he made the ultimate announcement, the Russo brothers, Anthony and Joe, hinted that "one crucial character is essential to truly honor Secret Wars," and teased that they would need "the greatest actor in the world" to bring Doctor Doom to life.

During the Comic-Con, a masked Downey Jr was brought on the stage in a green suit, surrounded by a group of masked and robed actors. After unmasking, he quipped, "New mask, same task." He continued, "What did I tell ya? I love playing complicated characters."

Later in the evening, he also posted his picture with the mask on Instagram, writing in the caption, "New mask, same task."