Less than a year after hanging up the Iron Man suit, Robert Downey Jr. is now on the press tour promoting his new film, Dolittle. And while many questions will focus on his role as the newest iteration of the doctor who can talk to animals, many have also been asking him about his exit from Marvel following Avengers: Endgame.
Despite Tony Stark sacrificing himself to save the universe, there’s been speculation as to whether he would ever return to the character that resurrected his career. In an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment though, Downey Jr. said that he was done with Iron Man, joking that he left the part because he was no longer getting paid.
“The contract was up, no problem,” the actor joked. “When the wires stopped coming through, I was more than ready to let go.”
To say that Downey Jr. made a lot of money for starring in Marvel movies for the past decade is an understatement. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the actor earned a cool $500,000 on the first Iron Man. But that figure is pennies compared to what he would end up making for the rest of his MCU run.
His salary became $10 million just two years later in Iron Man 2 and after collecting $50 million off of The Avengers, he then banked $75 million for Iron Man 3. By the end of Endgame, his earnings exceed $300 million from playing Iron Man. But despite such a lucrative role, Downey Jr. insists he’s moving on, saying:
“The war for me is over. “I personally have alighted to greener pastures.”
Other than the two Sherlock Holmes movies, Downey Jr. hasn’t had much success outside of Marvel. His last starring role was in The Judge six years ago and that movie failed to make an impression critically or financially. Buzz on Dolittle hasn’t been great, either, as extensive reshoots have resulted in the film’s budget nearing $200 million. A massive price tag in addition to a January release doesn’t exactly bode well for it.
Of course, there are rumors that Downey Jr. will appear in this summer’s Black Widow via deleted scenes from Captain America: Civil War, but other than that, his days as the eccentric billionaire appear to be over. At least, until they show him the money.