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The reaction to Marvel Studios’ reveal of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom in the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday” may have played like gangbusters in Hall H this weekend, but in the larger world the response has been more mixed.
The reveal has provoked plenty of confusion as to how it will work (it has been indicated this Dr. Doom is NOT a Stark variant), and an overall mixed reaction with some really liking it and some calling it a move of desperation following Marvel’s rough post-‘Endgame’ slate.
Now, a new report in Variety has revealed that bringing back both Downey Jr. and directors Joe and Anthony Russo into the MCU fold is going to cost Disney a fortune.
Sources for the trade say Marvel is spending $80 million on the Russos alone to direct the next two “Avengers” films. In addition, Downey Jr. will receive “significantly more” to play Doctor Doom across the two films.
Downey’s deal also has multiple perks including private jet travel, dedicated security, and a ‘trailer encampment’. Downey remains the highest-paid member of the MCU by far with sources saying his appearance across ten Marvel films over the first three ‘Phases’ has seen him taking in between $500 million and $600 million from his MCU works to date.
The Russos’ deal doesn’t include back-end compensation, but does have ‘performance escalators’ when the film passes the $750 million and $1 billion thresholds. The brothers also will produce the two films via their AGBO banner, something Marvel typically doesn’t do.
Sources also say Downey agreed to return to the MCU only if the Russos would direct as “they were the only ones he would work with.” Shooting on the new “Avengers” kicks off in London in the second quarter of 2025.
The news comes as filmmaker Jon Favreau’s interview with Marvel’s Kevin Feige from a year ago has gone viral in the past day as it revealed that Downey was being eyed, twenty years ago, for the Dr. Doom role before he ended up getting the Iron Man role.
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