Highlights
- Robert Downey Jr.’s career took off after overcoming addiction and starring in films like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Zodiac.
- Marvel Studios cast Downey Jr. as Iron Man because he was an “economical” choice, but it paid off hugely for both him and the studio.
- Downey Jr. took a small salary for the first Iron Man film, knowing that success would lead to future films and a massive payday.
These days, Robert Downey Jr. is considered one of the best actors of his time. While he had struggled with addiction in the past, once Downey Jr. was able to put those demons behind him, his career began to take off. Downey Jr. does not like to revisit his past in interviews. Films like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Zodiac, and Charlie Bartlett put Downey Jr.’s name back in the spotlight. They showcased the talent that Hollywood knew Downey Jr. had and let the public and critics know he was back.
The problem with what producers and studios saw of Downey Jr. when he claimed to be clean and sober in 2003 was that he had been down this road before. For a time, Downey Jr. could contain his drug addiction, only to have it sneak up on him and control his life again.
When the role of Iron Man was being shopped around Hollywood, several actors threw their names in the ring to be considered for the role. From Tom Cruise to Hugh Jackman, Nicolas Cage, and more, incredible actors were in the running to be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Some turned down the role, while others were just not the right fit. The only reason that Downey Jr. was eventually cast as Iron Man was because he was an “economical” choice, one that would change Downey Jr.’s life and make Marvel Studios hundreds of millions in the process.
Robert Downey Jr. Was Cast In ‘Iron Man’ Because He Was Cheap
Marvel paid Robert Downey Jr. a mere $2.3 million for the first Iron Man film
When Downey Jr. was offered the starring role in Iron Man, it would be assumed that a large payday would come with that role. But because Marvel Studios did not know if Downey Jr. was a name that audiences would flock to see, they offered a very low paycheck to the veteran actor.
Iron Man did allow Downey Jr. to have a personal moment included in the film. Much to the studio’s dismay, Downey Jr. accepted. As a result, Downey Jr. was cast as Iron Man for a steal.
The salary that Downey Jr. made for Iron Man was $2.5 million. Given the time that Downey Jr. had spent in Hollywood and the fact that he had been nominated for an Academy Award, this was small by the standards of most of the films he starred in.
However, Downey Jr. saw the bigger picture and recognized that if Iron Man was a success, it would lead to future films with Marvel Studios. As such, Downey Jr. took the small salary gambling that it would pay dividends in the future.
The same way that the studio was taking a gamble on Downey Jr. given his reputation as being unpredictable due to his past substance abuse.
Robert Downey Jr. Was Seen As The Perfect Iron Man, Character-Wise
Tony Stark’s troubled past mirrored Robert Downey Jr.’s, but it made the actor a risky choice
Downey Jr. had come back from substance abuse in the past. As such, when he announced that he was sober in 2003, many doubted him. Every project that he was cast in was seen as a risk because of the history Downey Jr. had.
But Kevin Feige had faith that Downey Jr. was the right actor for the role. Because of this, Downey Jr. got the break he needed in his career to be a superstar.
“I remember speaking to the marketing team at Paramount, because Paramount released that [Iron Man], saying that if we did our job, Tony Stark will be as famous as Iron Man,” Feige explained. “Tony Stark will be as well known and as much of a household name as Iron Man because that’s how interesting the character has to be.”
Feige went on to say, “Literally, the first decision I made and was allowed to make and allowed to try to pursue as president of Marvel Studios was casting Robert Downey Jr. and it felt fun to do that because we knew it’d either be great or the biggest dumpster fire ever. There was very little wiggle room.”
Jon Favreau, director of Iron Man, also believed in Downey Jr. However, he had to convince the studio that Downey Jr. was a solid choice. That Downey Jr.’s past would not play a part in how he acted in the present.
“What happened was they didn’t like the idea of Robert–they were scared of him, they told me ‘no, I couldn’t hire him’ and it felt like too big of a risk,” Favreau said. “They wanted me to go with somebody younger and somebody with less of a reputation.”
The problem was that Downey Jr. was the perfect choice to play Tony Stark/Iron Man. After he read, there were no other choices. It was just a matter of minimizing the risk the studio thought they were taking so that Downey Jr. could get hired.
“Everybody knew he was talented… Certainly, by studying the Iron Man role and developing that script, I realized that the character seemed to line up with Robert in all the good and bad ways,” Favreau stated.
“And the story of Iron Man was really the story of Robert’s career. That was a big gamble on whether or not he was really serious about it… and now history has definitely proven that he was dead serious about it and now he is the biggest star in the world.”
That gamble not only started what would become the uber-successful Avengers films but the money-making Iron Man series as well. Both of which made Marvel Studios and Downey Jr. a fortune.
Robert Downey Jr. Would Eventually Go On To Make Eight Films With Marvel
Robert Downey Jr. earned over $435 million+ for his role as Iron Man
While Marvel Studios offered Downey Jr. a paltry $2.5 million to star in Iron Man, by the time The Avengers was being written, executives had wanted to go big with the cast and production.
This time around, Downey Jr. would not be gotten for a steal. If Marvel Studios wanted him in the film as Tony Stark/Iron Man, they would have to pay what Downey Jr.’s acting talent was worth.
In order to get Downey Jr. to sign on for The Avengers, Marvel Studios has to agree to pay him $50 million, according to Business Insider, plus backend profits as well. The trend of getting more for each Marvel movie that Downey Jr. had begun.
Each movie paid Downey Jr. more until he finally decided to retire from the role of Iron Man in 2019.
|
Iron Man |
2008 |
$2.3 million |
|
Iron Man 2 |
2010 |
$10 million |
|
The Avengers |
2012 |
$50 million |
|
Iron Man 3 |
2013 |
$50 million |
|
Avengers: Age of Ultron |
2015 |
$80 million |
|
Captain America: Civil War |
2016 |
$33 million |
|
Spider-Man: Homecoming |
2017 |
$15 million |
|
Avengers: Infinity War |
2018 |
$66 million |
|
Avengers: End Game |
2019 |
$75 million |
It is estimated that as a result of the base pay and residuals that Downey Jr. earned and continues to earn from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Downey Jr. has taken home $435 million for his role as Tony Stark/Iron Man.
Because of this, it was rumored that Downey Jr. was being fired as Iron Man because Marvel Studios could no longer afford him. However, the studios did not fare badly taking in nearly $10 billion from these films alone.
As such, not only was their acceptance of Downey Jr. as Iron Man the best decision Marvel Studios could have made, it was likely the one that saved the entire studio from going under during its early days of comic book filmmaking.
Source: NewsFinale
