Fans Gather to Defend Downey’s MCU Salary, Compare Him to Tom Cruise
Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the hottest topics in Hollywood right now, if not the hottest one. After a protracted string of mediocre movies, MCU fans can now look forward to something again because Downey’s return is sure to liven things up. The revelation that came at the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con was an amazing one and the fans just cannot stop talking about it.
As has been stated time and time again, Downey is coming back to the MCU as Doctor Doom, also known as Victor von Doom, a well-known antagonist from Marvel comics. The opportunities are endless, but the standards are high, so it remains to be seen how MCU will handle this return. But that is a different issue.
We have recently reported on a group of fans who are dissatisfied with Downey’s return, believing that the actor opted to return simply because of the money and not because of artistic reasons. But, as you might assume, there is a group of fans who think differently, and this is a report on them.
Just a quick recap before we continue. Not long after being announced and confirmed as Doctor Doom, Downey spoke to The Hollywood Reporter and revealed his reasons for taking on the role:
“[Feige said] how can we not go backwards, how do we not disappoint expectations, how we can continue to beat expectations. (…) I looked up this character, and I was like ‘Wow,’ and later on he goes, ‘Let’s get Victor Von Doom right, let’s get that right.”
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Though it appears that Downey returned for creative reasons, some fans believe he returned more for financial gain than a desire to portray Doctor Doom accurately, given that he will receive $100 million for both films—which might total $200 million after box office income. And while money certainly played a part in his decision to return, the fans were quick to attack him and mock his words.
At the same time, there is a group of fans who think differently. Namely, they do not have a problem with Downey Jr. taking on the role for the money, i.e., they do not think that he will be paid too much for the role, citing the recent example of Tom Cruise’s $100-million Top Gun: Maverick salary. Here are the comments:
If that actor’s presence in a movie will generate more than $95 million in ticket/bluray sales (it will) then there’s no reason not to pay them that much.
— Gilbert Kitchens ✝️🇺🇸🇮🇱 (@Gilbeezyskit93) August 25, 2024
It’s not about “deserve”. It’s an investment, supply and demand. If that actor’s presence in a movie causes it to turn in $1-2bn to the studio, they will easily write that check
— Rino (@RinoTheBouncer) August 25, 2024
I love that no one said anything when Tom cruise was paid 100+ million for Maverick.
— Grayson (MinuteNerdNews) (@MinuteNerdNews) August 25, 2024
But since it’s an MCU movie….. https://t.co/9wzUPgVTsO
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