Marvel’s billionaire playboy, Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr ., might actually be the real-life adaptation of his character. Reports revealing the fortune he amassed during his time playing Iron Man show his earnings to reach almost half a billion!
His Junkie Past
Before landing the iconic role of Iron Man (Tony Stark) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Robert Downey Jr. struggled with drug addiction. Although he was already a buzzing actor at the time, his career seemed to be going down the drain.
RELATED STORIES
In 2001, he got fired from Ally McBeal due to scandals surrounding his drug use. Then, there was the prison time he got for not attending a court-ordered drug test.
Marvel’s Risk-Taking Moment
While the MCU seems highly successful in their movies now, they weren’t always good with that. Marvel had a proven poor record of bringing their comic book heroes into a movie adaptation, and hiring RDJ was even more of a risk.
Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios president, once told Cinemablend , “I was lucky enough to be involved in early Spiderman and X-Men films. But we wanted to do an Iron Man movie. And I do think, still, the biggest risk — which seems outrageous to say now — was casting Robert Downey Jr. It was both the biggest risk and the most important thing in the founding of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Without Robert, we wouldn’t be sitting here today. I really believe that.”
Major Come Back Deal
After completing his court-ordered drug test program in 2003, RDJ still had a hard time finding that one big role. However, by 2008, the 57-year-old actor had landed the role of Tony Stark in Iron Man .
Despite being an Oscar-nominated actor, RDJ landed a low paycheck of $2.5 million (£2m) for the movie. Iron Man was a massive success at the box office, grossing $585 million (£485 million) — kick-starting his career as the titular hero.
Four Years Later…
It was time for Robert Downey Jr. to reprise his role as Iron Man for Marvel’s biggest star cast movie yet, 2012’s The Avengers film. RDJ’s earnings had massively multiplied for this movie, bringing him $50 million (£41.5 million). The movie went on to be another box office hit, earning $1.5 billion (£1.2 billion), and the star had an undisclosed percentage cut from it.
Forbes Highest Paid Actor
By 2013, he was no longer just known for his past but as the face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In his role as Iron Man for the previous year’s The Avengers , RDJ topped Forbes’ highest-earning actors list for 2013 with an estimated $75 million paycheck.
He Did It Again
RDJ’s luck never ran out as he continued to earn big bucks from Marvel Studios. Reprising his role again for 2013’s Iron Man 3 , the Oscar-nominated actor earned another heavy paycheck with backend percentages from the movie’s success. Again, Robert Downey Jr. topped Forbes 2014 list of highest-paid actors .
Avengers: Age of RDJ
In what would seem like his biggest yearly earning at the time, Downey Jr. took in an eye-catching $80 million (£66.5 million) for his role in Avengers: Age of Ultron . And again, he topped Forbes’s highest-earning actor’s list for the third consecutive year. Most of his earnings from this movie came from backend percentages and base pay.
The Rock Effect
Ending his undefeated run as the highest-earning actor was Dwayne Johnson in 2016. His role as Iron Man for that year’s Captain America: Civil War earned him $33 million (£27.3 million).
RDJ’s Homecoming
With RDJ’s Tony Stark playing a fatherly figure role to Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, the duo went on to create Spiderman: Homecoming in 2017. For his short time in the film, Downey Jr. earned $15 million (£12.3 million).
Biggest Career Year, Yet
Thanks to his brief time in Spiderman: Homecoming and his major role in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War , Robert Downey Jr. earned his fattest yearly paycheck to date — $81 million (£67.5 million). Infinity War was a huge box office success, earning just a little over $2 billion (£1.6 billion), with Downey Jr. receiving huge bonuses.
Endgame
Marking the end of his run in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, at least for now, RDJ earned $75 million (62.3 million). Endgame turned out to be one of the biggest movie box office hits of all time, and all casts in the movie reportedly had huge pay cuts.
According to Forbes , Downey Jr.’s contract for his final movie in the MCU was a base pay of $20 million, with backend percentages accumulating to $55 million.
Amassed A Fortune
Robert Downey Jr. indisputably has one of the biggest and most successful Hollywood actor stories. His journey from 2008 to 2019 made him the highest-paid actor in Marvel’s running history. CBR reportedly estimates RDJ to have amassed a total of $435 million (£363 million) during his time as Iron Man in the MCU.
Endorsement Deals
While still Basking in the success of 2012 The Avengers , RDJ already started getting huge endorsement deals. In 2013, Robert reportedly signed a two-year contract worth $12 million (£10 million) for HTC to be the face of their global campaign.
He had another deal by the end of his time in the MCU in 2019. He signed a one-year contract endorsing the OnePlus phone brand. The exact amount for the contract is undisclosed, but it’s suspected to be huge, based on his popularity already at the time.
The Marvel Money Flow Hasn’t Stopped
Although the actor might have stepped out of the role of billionaire playboy, Tony Stark, RDJ might still have his hands in Marvel’s pocket. Apparently, some actors get a cut annually for every time their movies or shows get released on TV networks or home entertainment.
The Family Man
While Tony Stark might be a fictional billionaire, RDJ isn’t letting that life slip past him. The star actor and family man has a $3.8 million home in Malibu and an $11.9 million house in the Hamptons.
A Sucker For Vintage Cars
He might not be Dominic Toretto, but Robert Downey Jr. sure loves his cars. The Dr. Dolittle star has a garage full of vintage cars, including a customized 1979 Ford Mustang Boss 302 and a 1965 Chevrolet Corvette.
Shoes and Watches
Downey Jr. is a man of taste! The Oscar-nominated actor has a collection of watches estimated to cost over $750,000 (£625,000). His shoe cravings might be outrageously stunning as well. Speaking with Kelly Osbourne on MTV Movie Awards Red Carpet , Scarlett Johansson mentioned, “he [Robert Downey Jr.] has a bigger shoe collection than I do!”
He Ain’t Done
While RDJ is done with the MCU, his movie career isn’t! The Golden Globe Award winner has an upcoming movie with director Christopher Nolan in Oppenheimer this year. He will play the role of Lewis Strauss, the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission from 1953 to 1958.
New Look, More Money Perhaps
Downey Jr has been seen to spot a new clean-shaven hairstyle. In one video posted on his Instagram , his children could be seen helping their dad shave off his hair. His new look is due to his upcoming role in HBO’s The Sympathizer , which still has an unannounced release date.