‘The Avengers’ cast has turned to Robert Downey Jr. for assistance in their contractual battle with Marvel, who threatened to dismiss them for demanding more money. Keep reading to find out.
Marvel Cinematic Universe has become the most successful box office franchise in just 11 years. ‘Iron Man’, starring Robert Downey Jr., kicked off the series in 2008. He became a global superstar and the highest-paid actor on the planet as a result of the film. Robert Downey Jr. was paid an astronomical fee of $50 million-plus for his role in Marvel’s ‘The Avengers‘, which grew to $70 million-plus after the film became the third highest-grossing film of all time in 2012.
Highlights —
- Robert Downey Jr forced to stand up for them against Marvel
- RJD – The big brother
Robert Downey Jr forced to stand up for them against Marvel
One of the main reasons ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ is still considered one of the most expensive films ever made is that it was the first time the cast demanded the pay they felt they deserved. According to a 2013 Deadline article quoting multiple industry insiders, when many cast members threatened to walk out, Robert Downey Jr was forced to stand up for them against Marvel.
According to the report, which came out shortly after the release of ‘Iron Man 3’ and the announcement of ‘Avengers 2’, several actors attempted to renegotiate their contracts with Marvel after being paid a pittance for their first appearances. Even Robert Downey Jr., who reportedly earned around $70 million for the first Avengers film and even more for ‘Iron Man 3’, publicly tried to get a raise by hinting that he might be done with the character. During an appearance on Jon Stewart’s show, he stated, “I don’t know. I had a long contract with them and now we’re gonna renegotiate”.
The report quoted an insider as saying, “Some received only $200,000 for Avengers and Downey got paid $50M. On what planet is that OK?” Behind the scenes, this resulted in some bad blood. “Marvel has created so much animosity by strong-arming and bullying on sequels already. It’s counterproductive”, another insider said.
Reporter Nikke Finke wrote that she’d heard, “Marvel already has threatened to sue or recast when contracts and/or options are challenged. That prompted a few cast members to respond, ‘Go ahead’”. She claimed that Chris Hemsworth, in particular, was hesitant to return for more Thor films, especially after a less-than-pleasant experience on ‘Thor 2’. “I also understand that Scarlett Johansson told castmates she’s ‘not going to cut her quote’ for the film”, Finke wrote.
RJD – The big brother
According to the report, when his cast members found out about RDJ’s renegotiating, they rallied behind him because he was seen as the leader and big brother, as one of the reps told the website back in 2013. According to one insider, “He’s the only guy with real power in this situation. and b*lls of steel, too. He’s already sent a message that he’s not going to work for a place where they treat his colleagues like sh*t”.
When Deadline asked director Joss Whedon about the drama, he defended Marvel but added, “I’m not going to comment specifically because I’m not privy to that sort of stuff and I don’t think it’s my place to talk about. In general terms, yes – Marvel can be very cheap, God knows. They can also be sensible and frugal. They have a very small infrastructure and they’re not heaping this money on themselves”.
What’re your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments down below.
