In the midst of their battles, there’s no star of the Avengers. That’s what makes the heroes such an effective team. Each brings a different set of skills to the table, and each is capable of doing things the others cannot. Behind the cameras however, there is clearly a star of The Avengers, and if you think differently, one look at their compensations will cause you to reconsider.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, once bonuses are factored in, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner will likely earn between two and three million. Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L Jackson should rake in five to six million, and Robert Downey Jr will swagger off to his bank with around fifty million dollars. In case you suck at math, that means Marvel values Iron Man’s presence roughly twenty-five times more than Captain America’s.
The reason for the payout discrepancy is partially due to timing and partially due to Downey Jr’s proven track record. Following the incredible success of Iron Man, RDJ got his Tony Stark negotiating hat on and convinced Marvel to give him a percentage of revenue from all films in which he plays the character. When the studio branched out to sign other stars, they offered them set performance bonuses instead. The Avengers will clearly surpass all the benchmarks needed to hit those, but even a basic doubling of their salaries pales in comparison to any percentage Downey Jr might have. Plus, it’s probable to assume the basic fee he gets for his services is higher too.
I’m more than willing to agree Downey Jr is the star and should be paid the most money, but I’m not quite sure he’s worth so much more than his co-stars. What do you think? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…
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