Robert Downey Jr. will never have earned a better salary than by returning to the MCU: money is not everything, he accepted it under one big condition!

News culture Robert Downey Jr. will never have earned a better salary than by returning to the MCU: money is not everything, he accepted it under one big condition!

A return that has its price

If you’re a Marvel fan, you’ve probably heard about this big news. At the San Diego Comic-Con last weekend Visitors were surprised to learn that the Marvel Cinematic Universe will return in 2026 and 2027 in two new Avengers films: Doomsday and Secret WarsSuperhero fans had to say goodbye to the highly anticipated Avengers: Kang Dynasty and turn to a new story arc in which the protagonists have to face Dr. Doom. And what was the astonishment of the fans when they learned that it would be Robert Downey Jr. – the interpreter of Iron Man in the previous films – who would play the terrible Victor Von Doom.

While some may have been happy about this return, others see this suggestion as an admission of weakness on Marvel’s part. Meanwhile, the actor seems happy to return to the MCU, but he had asked for a very specific condition. Robert Downey Jr. had only promised his return to the American company if the Russo brothers would direct the next films. Some sources who are aware of the negotiations between the actor and Marvel confirm that “cwere the only ones he wanted to work with“.

Is there a reason for this state of affairs? We could imagine it is financial, considering that the previous Avengers films – Infinity War and Endgame – directed by the Russo brothers had brought in more than $4.8 billion in total revenue. In a context where Marvel is starting to lose audience interest, the directors’ collaboration with Robert Downey Jr. would be a good way to restart the machine.

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Change of plans for Marvel

Fans of the American company do not have to count on the return of Kang the Conqueror, who was largely absent from the conference, the interpreter – Jonathan Majors – was pushed out of Marvel’s future projects due to his problems with the law. He was accused of domestic violence before being eventually found guilty. All of this suggests that, based on recent announcements, the Avengers’ final main antagonist will have to kindly give way to Dr. Doom.

Meanwhile, some actors who have worked with Robert Downey Jr. in previous superhero films do not understand the actor’s change of direction. This is the case of Gwyneth Paltrow, the interpreter of Pepper Potts – Tony Stark’s wife – who commented on an Instagram post by the actor to make him understand his incomprehension by saying: “I don’t understand. Are you a villain now?“. Today, we still don’t know how the new character revealed at Comic-Con will be introduced into the MCU, as he has never been introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.