After a tough year, Marvel is going back to what’s worked for them in the past, and that means reuniting with one of the franchise’s best. Robert Downey Jr. Also on board are the Russo brothers, who directed two of the studio’s most successful films, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
But bringing back key members of the old gang won’t be cheap. Sources say Marvel is looking to bring Anthony and Joe Russo The Russo brothers will receive “significant additional” compensation for playing the supervillain Doctor Doom in the two flagship films. The Russo brothers’ contract does not include a final salary, but does include performance-based pay increases that apply at the $750 million and $1 billion thresholds. The brothers will also produce the two films under the AGBO banner. This marks something of a turnaround for Marvel, which typically does not work with outside producers, preferring to keep its team in-house.
For Downey, who launched Marvel into a money-making machine with his role as Tony Stark in the original “Iron Man” in 2008, the deal comes with a host of perks, including private jet travel, personal security and “trailer camp” for Oscar winners. (Downey won this year’s best supporting actor award for his role in “Oppenheimer.”)
Downey is by far the highest-paid actor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having earned between $500 million and $600 million between four “Avengers” films, three “Iron Man” films and cameos in “The Incredible Hulk,” “Captain America: Civil War” and “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” according to a source familiar with the matter.
Still, some changes are expected: While the Russo brothers’ previous two “Avengers” movies were shot in Atlanta, the new one will shoot in London starting in the second quarter of 2025.
Marvel’s first 30 films made it the most dominant brand in cinema, but by 2023, the cracks were starting to show. A lackluster Ant-Man sequel grossed just $476 million worldwide, and Marvels was a dismal success, barely clearing the $200 million mark worldwide. Adding to the Burbank studio’s unease, an entire upcoming Avengers film centered on the villain Kang was canceled due to actor Jonathan Majors’ legal troubles. (Marvel’s parent company Disney cut ties with Majors hours after he was convicted of assault and harassment stemming from an altercation with his then-girlfriend.) Soon, director Destin Daniel Cretton was dropped from Avengers: Kang Dynasty.
variety Previously reported Cover story on the studio’s woes Marvel was considering pivoting from Kang to Doctor Doom as Majors’ problems deepened, and chief executive Kevin Feige was reportedly keen to bring back Downey, who makes his Broadway debut in Ayad Akhtar’s “McNeil” in the fall and goes into pre-production on “The Avengers” in the new year.
Sources say Downey, who is signed to WME, agreed to return to the MCU if the Russo brothers, who are CAA clients, would direct. “They were the only people he would work with,” said a source familiar with the deal.
After all, the brothers’ two “Avengers” films grossed a massive $4.851 billion combined. With Marvel looking to bounce back, reteaming Downey and Russo is “a perfect combination of timing and everyone being on the same page,” said an executive close to the project.
