Over a decade ago, Robert Downey Jr.’s leading role in Iron Man revitalized his career. He quickly became Marvel Studios’ MVP, and earned a generous backend deal for The Avengers. While that movie reportedly netted Downey $50 million, Avengers: Infinity War may have given him an even bigger return.
Via The Hollywood Reporter, Downey earned $75 million for his starring role in Infinity War. And with Avengers: Endgame already breaking box office records, Downey could earn even more from that sequel. THR’s report also indicated that Downey made $5 million for his appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming. However, Downey’s scenes in that film only required him to be on set for three days.
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The report also shed some light on the salary of Downey’s Avengers co-stars. Chris Evans’ first deal called for him to appear in five films as Captain America. But when he renegotiated his contract, Evans was given a raise between $15 to $20 million per film. Chris Hemsworth also received a renegotiated deal in the $15 to $20 million range. Scarlett Johansson is apparently due for her own $20 million payday in her upcoming Black Widow solo movie.
Currently, it appears that none of the other Avengers co-stars are earning anywhere near as much. However, newer MCU additions including Chadwick Boseman and Benedict Cumberbatch could be up for lucrative new deals as well. It’s a far cry from the early days of Marvel Studios, when the performers were reportedly underpaid.
Which MCU performers would you re-sign to big contracts? Let us know in the comment section below!
