Robert Downey Jr. will be officially rejoining the MCU, as was revealed at the 2024 San Diego Comic Convention. The Oscar-winning actor last appeared in the franchise in Avengers: Endgame following the conclusion of his contract with Marvel Studios. However, he will now be returning to the superhero franchise as the villainous Doctor Doom. As per a recent report, Robert Downey Jr. will receive a hefty salary for his role as Doom in Avengers 5.
The Russo Brothers and Robert Downey Jr. allegedly secure big paydays for Avengers 5 and 6
According to Variety, Joe and Anthony Russo will be paid $80 million for directing the next two Avengers movies. The report also suggests that the contract does not have any back-end compensation clause. Nevertheless, the deal does include performance-based incentives, which will be triggered at the $750 million and $1 billion box-office thresholds.
Robert Downey Jr. will reportedly receive “significantly more” than $80 million in salary for playing Doctor Doom in Avengers 5 and 6. Additional perks attached to his contract include travels via private jet, a personal security detail, and a trailer encampment. The actor apparently laid out certain conditions and only confirmed his return once they were met.
Robert Downey Jr. is currently the highest-paid actor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He has reportedly made between $500 and $600 million in salary for his appearances in the four Avengers projects, three Iron Man movies, and other MCU cameos.
Having replaced Kang as the next titular threat in an Avengers movie, Robert Downey Jr. will make his second MCU debut in May 2026 with Avengers: Doomsday. He will then be seen as Doctor Doom again in May 2027 in Avengers: Secret Wars. However, the actor’s future at Marvel after the next two Avengers movies is currently unknown.
