Iron Man and Robert Downey Jr.'s Future: Marvel, Disney Need to Pay Him Johnny Depp-like Pirates Money
Nothing has been confirmed or is concrete evidence that both won't be back, especially RDJ. Both have been in their fair share of Marvel movies. Also, many actors stick to a trilogy format when reprising roles so perhaps it might be the end for them. (Technically, RDJ has been featured in four Marvel movies but it's a loose example anyway.)
Bottom line is that Downey is the focal point and lead character of Marvel's big screen universe and losing him could put a huge dent into Marvel's future plans for Phase 3 and beyond. Hopefully, he is back for The Avengers Sequel but fans will have to wait and be patient until casting announcements are made for the ensemble film late this year or in early 2014.
Marvel's parent company, Disney, are not fools. They know RDJ is their biggest draw right now and replacing Downey for another actor to play Tony Stark is like replacing Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow with another actor, in Pirates of the Caribbean.
Speaking of the Pirates franchise, Disney took care of Depp (financially) to secure him beyond the first three films. Depp was reportedly paid approximately $75 million to return for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and is also rumored to be paying him nearly $100 million for a planned fifth installment in 2015. It seems that if Disney thinks they have a franchise that can produce $1 billion in worldwide box office sales per movie, they will pay to keep actors in place.
Downey received $50 million in the back end of the ticket sales for The Avengers and he'll probably get something similar for Iron Man 3. So why let him walk? Just keep feeding him more ticket sale cash or just give him a huge payday up front—like Depp—to have him keep making Iron Man movies.
Some theorize that age could be playing a factor with RDJ but that shouldn't be an issue since he is a character who wears a suit of armor. This can be done as he gets older since it's all about the suit enhancing one's abilities anyway.
We can only hope RDJ will be back as Stark / Iron Man after Iron Man 3 hits theaters and worst case scenario is to give him Depp-like money because replacing Downey with another actor to play the role just doesn't seem like a fit for at least another decade of Iron Man films. Iron Man brought RDJ back into the mainstream and he should be Stark until he looks like a really old guy in a suit of armor.
Maybe Iron Man 3's box office performance will bring the actor back, if it makes a billion worldwide like The Avengers did. Money talks most of the time.
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