Being a Hollywood film star can give you a huge, huge net worth, especially if you're starring in wildly successful superhero films. Christian Bale has a net worth of $120 million dollars thanks to his role as Batman, and Henry Cavill has a net worth of $40 million dollars thanks in part to his role as Superman. But few super heroes have quite as super a net worth as iconic Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr.
Best known for his work as Tony Stark in the Iron Man franchise, the Oscar-nominated actor now has a net worth of $300 million dollars, and made an estimated $400 million dollars from his role as Tony Stark in various Marvel films and subsequent franchises. RDJ is one of Hollywood's highest-earning actors today, but his net worth and his career weren't always at the level they are now. How exactly did joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe massively increase his net worth, and has leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe adversely affected it?
6 Early Days
At just 27 years old, Robert Downey Jr. was a young, rising star. Nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of legendary silent film actor Charlie Chaplin in the 1992 film Chaplin, RDJ was well just beginning his path to one of Hollywood's most prolific film careers. While he was yet to earn the paychecks he regularly takes home today, he was on his way to having a lucrative career thanks to his superb performance.
5 Drug Charges
Robert Downey Jr.'s path to worldwide stardom came with hiccups. After his Oscar nomination, the actor fell into a precarious pattern of substance abuse and arrest, followed by stays in rehab and relapses, his first arrest being for possession of cocaine, heroine, and an unloaded handgun. After about five years of this dangerous cycle, RDJ got clean and stayed clean for good, sending him on a renewed path to Hollywood stardom.
4 Before Iron Man
Despite his newfound sobriety, the star struggled to find and keep acting jobs. Production studios often had trouble obtaining insurance for the actor, making it difficult for him to find and keep employment. Robert Downey Jr. can attest to the benefits of having friends in high places. His close friendship with iconic director Mel Gibson changed his professional life, as Gibson paid the insurance bond needed for RDJ to act in The Singing Detective. Landing this role opened the door to him later being cast opposite Halle Berry in Gothika. The ultimate domino effect, this role led him to his renewed Hollywood stardom, and eventually landed him the role of Tony Stark in the Iron Man franchise and subsequent Marvel franchises.
3 Iron Man Days
No stranger to struggle, Robert Downey Jr.'s path to being cast in Iron Man was laced with difficulty. Director Jon Favreau, known for directing other blockbuster films like Elf and the live-action remake of The Lion King, directed the first two installments of the Iron Man franchise. Favreau, convinved RDJ was the best actor to bring Tony Stark alive, knew he wanted to cast RDJ, but he had to convince studio exectutives. After a battle with the studio as intense as some of Iron Man's, RDJ was slated to play Tony Stark. Thanks to Favreau's fervent defense of the actor, RDJ's net worth climbed significantly.
2 Iron Man Earnings
It didn't take long for RDJ to begin earning massive amounts of money for his role as Tony Stark, but his earnings to begin were modest by Hollywood standards. The now-legendary actor's salary for the first Iron Man installment was only $500,000 dollars. Thanks to the success of the film, his salary for the second installment was boosted to $10 million. When he reprised his role for The Avengers, his salary was again $10 million, but he worked out backend deals that boosted his total earnings to a reported $50 million dollars, which he repeated for the third installment of Iron Man. RDJ continued netting amounts ranging from $15 million to $80 million for each subesquent film where he portrayed the billionaire businessman superhero, his earnings for the character totaling an estimated $400 million dollars.
1 His Net Worth Today
Robert Downey Jr.'s Marvel paychecks may seem hard to beat, but with the credentials he earned from playing Tony Stark, RDJ can negotiate hefty salaries for every role he' scast in. The actor took home $20 million for his eponymous role in Dolittle, his first role since leaving the Marvel Universe. It is yet to be seen what salaries his next roles will bring him, but his earnings from his Marvel work have left him with an incredible amount of money, an estimated $300 million. Based on his Dolittle salary, it's safe to say he'll continue racking up major money.