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On Saturday evening, Marvel president Kevin Feige surprised a packed Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con with the announcement that Robert Downey Jr. would be back to play Doctor Doom in two new upcoming Avengers movies. He also announced that Anthony Russo and Joseph Russo, referred to collectively as the Russo brothers, would also be returning to Marvel to direct both movies.
The casting news was a big surprise because RDJ’s Marvel superhero Tony Stark/Iron Man formally exited the MCU at the end of The Avengers: Endgame and, well, there were dozens of ways they could have handled the Doctor Doom character that would have made more sense than having him be a Tony Stark variant. So, what exactly went down behind-the-scenes to get all three men back to Marvel? Variety has some more details, including the pivot to Doom after it was pretty clear that the Kang storyline wasn’t going to work out. As it turns out, RDJ had more than 80 million good reasons to return.
Money, money, money: But bringing back key members of the old gang won’t come cheap. Sources say Marvel is plunking down $80 million for Anthony and Joe Russo to direct “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars” and “significantly more” for Downey to tackle uber-villain Doctor Doom in the two tentpoles. The Russos’ deal doesn’t include back-end compensation, but it does contain performance escalators that kick in at the $750 million and $1 billion thresholds. The brothers also will produce the two films via their AGBO banner. That marks something of a departure for Marvel, which typically doesn’t work with outside producers, preferring to keep the team in house.
More money and a private jet: For Downey, who helped catapult Marvel into a money-printing machine thanks to his turn as Tony Stark in the first “Iron Man” film in 2008, his deal also is filled with perks that include private jet travel, dedicated security and a whole “trailer encampment” for the newly minted Oscar winner. According to one knowledgeable source, Downey is by far the highest-paid member of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and has pulled down between $500 million and $600 million over the course of four “Avengers” movies, three “Iron Man” outings and cameos in “The Incredible Hulk,” “Captain America: Civil War” and “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”
Hello, London: While the Russo brothers’ previous two “Avengers” movies shot in Atlanta, the new outings will be filmed in London beginning in the second quarter of 2025.
Needing to pivot after the Jonathan Majors mess: Adding to the angst on the Burbank lot, the entire future “Avengers” arc that centered on villain Kang had to be scrapped amid actor Jonathan Majors’ legal troubles. (Marvel parent company Disney cut ties with Majors hours after he was convicted of assault and harassment stemming from an altercation with his girlfriend at the time.) In short order, director Destin Daniel Cretton exited “Avengers: Kang Dynasty.” Variety previously reported in a cover story on the studio’s woes that Marvel was considering pivoting from Kang to Doctor Doom as Majors’ problems mounted and that chief Kevin Feige was keen to bring back Downey, who will segue from his Broadway debut in Ayad Akhtar’s “mcneal” in the fall to preproduction on “Avengers” in the new year.
RDJ would only work with the Russos: Sources say Downey, who is repped by WME, agreed to return to the MCU if the Russos, who are CAA clients, would be directing. “They were the only ones he would work with,” says a source familiar with the dealmaking. After all, the brothers’ two “Avengers” movies earned a whopping $4.851 billion combined. As Marvel looks to regain its footing, a Downey/Russos reteaming is “a perfect combination of timing and everyone being on the same page,” says one executive close to the project.
Sounds like Marvel made RDJ an offer he couldn’t refuse and then RDJ made Marvel an offer they couldn’t refuse right back. But seriously, that $80 million dollars is a lot of money. No pressure to deliver or anything, ha. I looked around online to see if anyone was reporting any firmer numbers on what Downey’s salary is, but I only saw speculation as high as $100 million. If Disney’s throwing that kind of money at its OG Avengers to help revive interest in the franchise, and they’re willing to play around with pulling variants out of the multiverse to sweeten the pot, then I wonder how long it is before we see the return of Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson. Justice for the Black Widow!
Photos credit: Jeffrey Mayer / Avalon, Getty and via Instagram
Well. I am not a 13 year old boy, but this doesn’t appeal to me anymore. I think studios need to pivot from superhero/space odyssey franchises. I don’t think he is any more important or enjoyable in the Avengers franchise than Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth or Scarlett Johansson and shouldn’t be paid more. I think audiences may push back and refuse to see it because of this.
I don’t think 13 year old boys are interested in anything Marvel. Fortnite, girls, and gaming are more aligned to their interests. And I think the general public has moved on since Endgame.
I have no issue with the star of the movie getting paid that much, considering the production company makes billions on these movies. But, it seems like when it comes to crew, PAs, and other essential workers on the movie set, they are pinching every dollar while making them work like slaves. It just feels gross. Good for RDJ though, the white knight of mediocre white men in the industry.
No star needs 80 million. That is obscene for his contribution. These people are treated like gods now, and it is just wrong and unfair to the rest of the industry, which works so much harder. RDJ is a one-trick pony, and I am tired of his trick. I Hope he bombs big-time
I don’t get why they couldn’t just recast Kang?
Racism.
When a white actor screws up he is replaced with another white actor.
When a Black actor screws up, they “go in a different direction”. It’s a way to punish all Black actors and keep them from becoming a bigger part of the film industry.
A while ago I read something that white men don’t mind black people in movies. But when it comes to their fantasy movies. They don’t want people of color interrupting their fantasies of an all-white universe. Which is why a show like Game of Thrones is 99.9% white actors.
And with the failure of the last few movies featuring diversity in the cast. Which really had more to do with the convoluted multiverse and poor scripts. I think spooked Marvel and listened to the fans that were clamoring for the original actors in the franchise.
I personally, really enjoyed Jonathan Majors before his convictions for Misdemeanor assault and harassment. Then finding out he was pretty horrible since his days of Yale was a bummer.
And the fact that Josh Brolin literally beat his ex-wife Diane Lane and he just went right on making movies. And she covered for him not pressing charges. Really boggles my mind. But that’s Hollywood. Money over morals.
I’ve seen quite some backlash against Feige, Marvel and RD Jr. on Xwitter.
People from technical departments complaining about low pay — barely minimum, mediocre catering for crews, some kind of class system even among the technical departments. And that was when RDJr.’s pay was only rumored.
I used to like Feige, but don’t care about the Russos — and I never got on board with RD Jr.’s questionable libertarian politics.
I really hope this lazy, uninspired casting will come back to bite them.
People are not happy about this.
Specially people who worked for marvel before as crew member and down the line workers who are reporting they got paid as low as 10 dlls an hour for previous projects.
Some of these crew members who are not unionized, didn’t get food and other members had to chip in so they could buy food for their peers while filming. This doesn’t look good when your star is making over 80 million and being flown private.
I get marvel revived RDJ career and RDJ was game and got Marvel studios more than they could’ve imagined but come on, take a couple of millions from the big star and ensure people who are making your movies are at least fed while working for you.
@Ferdinando most crew members are called below the line. Not down the line. Actors/producers are referred to as above the line. And they make all the money.
That’s why I appreciated Keanu Reeves when he shared the wealth with his Matrix paychecks. With the crew.
I can’t see RDJ and his wife (the one who is really in charge) doing anything as generous as that. They will pocket every dime and not even a thank you to the below the line crew.
It’s so hard for me to wrap my head around that kind of money. It’s just SO MUCH money. And I understand that the movies make so much that the stars should ask for a lot. That is just how that industry works.
But it is gross that they can afford to pay one star 80 million, and that other workers aren’t paid decently, let alone well. Obviously they can’t pay crew 80 million each, but they could pay them a GOOD salary.
I loved RDJ as Ironman. I don’t begrudge him a huge paycheck, I mean, the movies made billions and I do think he had a lot to do with it. (As did all the big stars that fans enjoyed)
But I do kind of wonder what people THAT rich even DO with so much money. His net worth is $300 million. On the one hand, I get that it is none of MY business WHAT he does with another 80 million. And it is likely he does some good things with it. Charity etc. But wouldn’t it be awesome if Marvel, a company that is worth gazillions, actually paid their crews and all the non-acting staff WELL? Not millions, but a good living? They could absolutely afford to do that, and still have millions for all the big wigs.
We have already seen the return of Chris Evans in Free Guy and a MCU film.
Last Saturday night I went to see Deadpool and wolverine on the big screen 4D IMax high def sound etc etc. I have to say I so enjoyed the experience of a full theater cheering on and laughing together.
I myself am nostalgic for the days of going to the theater to see avenger movies and being with an enthusiastic audience.
4DX is wild, last time i visited my mom in Florida. We went to see Ghostbuster in 4DX having no idea what to expect.
I thought my 79 year old mom was going to get thrown out of her seat. But she loved it!
Making 80 millions for one movie is obscene. No wonder MCU movies look like crap. The money should go to the crew and the VFX artists. Not to some spoiled, overrated, greedy actor.
Also, Victor Von Doom is a Romani man. Not a white man. And he’s been Romani for longer than Magneto has been Jewish. Why the double standard? Why is Kevin Feige obsessed with erasing canonically Romani characters from the comics?
Marvel Comics > MCU
This is getting out of hand.
RDJ is a mediocre white guy actor. He’s the same in every single role. So it comes as no surprise to me that he’s getting paid $80 million for this. I don’t know what he does with all his “hard earned” money but I hope it’s something good.