The biggest shocker for fans who were following SDCC 2024, particularly the Kevin Feige-led Marvel panel, was the revelation of Robert Downey Jr return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The second shocker was he wouldn't be playing Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, a character he was synonymous with within the MCU; instead, he would be playing one of Marvel's greatest villains, Doctor Doom, in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. The third shocker was the return of director-siblings Anthony and Joe Russo, aka Russo Bros, to direct these Avengers films. They had previously made four of MCU's best films in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. RDJ and the Russo Bros last worked for Marvel in the 2019 film Avengers: Endgame, also the highest-grossing Marvel movie of all time. Who Is Robert Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom? All You Need To Know About the Marvel Villain Making His MCU Debut in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’.

So, how did Kevin Feige pull off this miracle? Apparently, millions of dollars are intricately linked to the combined return of the star and the director duo, according to a report in Variety. The report claims that one of Robert Downey Jr's conditions for the return was that Russo Bros should be directing the upcoming Avengers films. So what made Russo Bros take a break from making lame spy thrillers like The Gray Man and expanding humdrum spy sagas like the Citadel franchise to come back making MCU's biggest movies?

Salaries Paid to Russo Bros

According to the report, Russo Bros is being paid USD 80 million to direct both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, which doesn't include back-end financial dealings. However, they are being offered performance incentives if the movies gross more than USD 750 million and USD 1 billion. They will also be co-producing the film through their banner, AGBO.

Russo Bros' 'I Love You 3000' Post to Marvel Fans After Their Return

Robert Downey Jr Salary for Doomsday and Secret Wars

While the specifics of how much Marvel is paying Robert Downey Jr to return to the MCU as an antagonist this time haven't been revealed, it is reported that he is being paid significantly more than Russo Bros for his comeback. However, the report includes certain privileges the actor would be getting from Marvel Studios, which involve private jet travel, trailer services, and personalised security details. ‘Avengers: Doomsday’: Gwyneth Paltrow Reacts to Robert Downey Jr’s MCU Return As Doctor Doom in Russo Brothers’ Upcoming Film.

Reveal of RDJ as Doctor Doom at SDCC 2024

When he exited MCU after Endgame, RDJ had netted a staggering amount that fell between USD 500 million and USD 600 million, effectively making him the highest-paid actor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Post-Endgame, Robert Downey Jr's first mainstream film, Dolittle, which was also his own production, was a box office failure. The actor got better critical attention with his performance-oriented supporting role endeavours like Park Chan-wook's series The Sympathiser, which netted him an Emmy nomination, and Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, which grabbed RDJ his first Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor.

As for the Russo brothers, they haven't made a single theatrical release since Avengers: Endgame, but they made two direct-to-streaming movies in Cherry and The Gray Man. Even their upcoming film, The Electric State, is a Netflix exclusive. The movies, however, failed to win the same kind of critical acclaim they enjoyed during their Marvel stint.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 30, 2024 02:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).