After a tough year, Marvel is back to the same things that worked in the past. That means reuniting franchise gem Robert Downey Jr. as well as the Russo brothers, who directed the studio’s two most successful films, “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame.”
But bringing back key members of the old gang won’t be cheap. Sources say Marvel will pay Anthony and Joe Russo $80 million to direct “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars” and “a lot more” for Downey to take on the villain Doctor Doom in the two main arcs. The Russo deal doesn’t include back-end compensation, but it does have performance ladders that start at $750 million and $1 billion. The brothers will also produce both films through their AGBO banner. It’s a departure of sorts for Marvel, which typically doesn’t work with outside producers, preferring to keep the team in-house.
For Downey, who helped turn Marvel into a money-printing machine with his role as Tony Stark in the first “Iron Man” movie in 2008, his contract is also full of perks that include private jet travel, private security and an entire “trailer camp” for the newly minted Oscar winner. (Downey won best supporting actor this year for his role in “Oppenheimer.”)
According to a source familiar with the matter, Downey is the highest-paid member of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having earned between $500 million and $600 million over the course of four Avengers films, three Iron Man films, and appearances in The Incredible Hulk, Captain America: Civil War, and Spider-Man: Homecoming.
However, there are still some changes to be made. While the previous two Avengers films from the Russo brothers were shot in Atlanta, the new two films will be shot in London starting in the second quarter of 2025.
Despite Marvel becoming the most dominant franchise in cinema over the course of its first 30 films, it’s starting to show cracks in 2023, with the dull “Ant-Man” sequel bringing in just $476 million worldwide, alongside the disastrous “The Marvels,” which barely cracked the $200 million mark globally. In addition to the angst at the Burbank set, an entire future “Avengers” arc centered on villain Kang had to be scrapped amid actor Jonathan Majors’ legal troubles. (Marvel parent company Disney cut ties with Majors hours after he was convicted of assault and harassment stemming from an altercation with his then-girlfriend.) In short order, director Destin Daniel Cretton was out of “Avengers: Kang Dynasty.”
diverse Previous reports in a major article about the studio’s troubles said Marvel was considering switching from Kang to Doctor Doom as Majors’ problems worsened and that president Kevin Feige was keen to bring back Downey, who will move from his Broadway debut in Ayad Akhtar’s “MacNeil” in the fall to pre-production on “Avengers” in the new year.
Sources say Downey, who is represented by WME, agreed to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe if the Russo’s, who are CAA clients, would direct the film. “They were the only ones he would work with,” says a source familiar with the deal.
After all, the brothers’ two “Avengers” films have grossed a combined $4.851 billion. As Marvel looks to regain its footing, the reteaming of Downey and the Russos is “a perfect combination of timing and alignment,” says one executive close to the project.