Marvel Studios announced a major reunion at San Diego Comic-Con, bringing back Robert Downey Jr. and the Russo Brothers for the next two installments in the ‘Avengers’ saga. Downey will reprise his role as a major Marvel villain, this time as Victor Von Doom, while the Russo Brothers will helm both ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’.
This reunion comes with a hefty price tag. According to Variety, Marvel will pay the Russo Brothers a staggering $80 million to direct the two films. While the deal doesn’t include back-end compensation, there are performance bonuses for reaching box office milestones of $750 million and $1 billion. Considering the Russos’ previous successes with ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Avengers: Endgame’, both of which grossed over $2 billion, these bonuses seem well within reach.
The Russos will also produce the next two ‘Avengers’ films under their AGBO banner, marking a departure from Marvel’s typical practice of using in-house producers. The report also reveals that Downey will receive a salary “significantly more” than the Russos’ $80 million, putting his compensation in the neighborhood of $100 million. This lucrative deal includes perks like dedicated security, private jet travel, and a sprawling “trailer encampment”.
Downey’s salary reflects his status as a major force within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). During his time playing Iron Man, he was reportedly paid between $500 million and $600 million for his roles in four ‘Avengers’ films, three ‘Iron Man’ movies, ‘Captain America: Civil War’, ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’, and a cameo in ‘The Incredible Hulk’.
Filming for the two ‘Avengers’ films is scheduled to begin in London during the second quarter of 2025. Downey’s Doctor Doom takes over from Jonahan Majors’ Kang the Conquerer as the lead villain for ‘Doomsday’ and ‘Secret Wars’. It’s possible that Downey’s character could make a cameo appearance in a post-credits scene before ‘Doomsday’, potentially setting the stage for ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’.
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is slated to hit theaters on May 1, 2026, followed by ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ on May 7, 2027. With such a star-studded cast and crew, these two films are sure to be major events for Marvel fans worldwide.
