Robert Downey Jr.’s Record $160 Million Paycheck—and the Behind-the-Scenes Support Behind His Comeback

Given marijuana by his father

American actor Robert Downey Jr. (61), known for films such as the “Iron Man” series, has been confirmed to appear in the latest two installments of the “Avengers” series. His fee is reportedly $50 million (approximately ¥8 billion) per film, totaling $100 million (approximately ¥16 billion), making headlines as the highest compensation in Hollywood history.

Downey will play Doctor Doom, the iconic comic-book villain dressed in a green cloak, in “Avengers: Doomsday,” scheduled for release in December, and its sequel, “Avengers: Secret Wars,” scheduled for release next year.

According to the U.S. website “BroBible,” he is expected to receive $100 million for the two latest films in the series, making him the highest-paid actor in the history of superhero films.

Downey’s contract could also become the largest upfront compensation in the entire history of cinema. The previous record holder was Downey himself, who earned a total of $75 million for “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) and “Avengers: Endgame” (2019).

When it comes to huge acting fees, Tom Cruise may come to mind. He has also earned between $75 million and $100 million from films such as the “Mission: Impossible” series and “Top Gun: Maverick.” However, those figures include a percentage of the films’ profits after their release. Downey’s $50 million per film, on the other hand, is reportedly his base compensation.

Amid all this, attention is now being drawn to the existence of the shadow ruler behind Downey’s miraculous comeback from past drug addiction.

“Downey was first arrested for illegal drug possession in 1996 and spent one year in a California state prison. In 2001, he was arrested for cocaine possession and sentenced to three years of probation and one year in a rehabilitation facility. In court, he testified that he became dependent on drugs after his father, film director Robert Downey Sr., gave him marijuana when he was six years old, saying, ‘For me, doing drugs was like putting a shotgun in my mouth, putting my finger on the trigger. And I liked the taste of the metal of the barrel.’ His serious drug dependence was widely reported by the U.S. media at the time, and his comeback was considered hopeless.”(Hollywood insider)

I remember being shocked when television footage of the Hollywood star, who had gained popularity through films such as “Chaplin” (1992), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, and “Natural Born Killers” (1994), appeared on Japanese news programs, showing him arriving at court dressed in an orange prison uniform, handcuffed and shackled.

Choose between the drugs and me

It was reportedly film producer Susan Downey (52), whom Downey became engaged to in 2003 and married in 2005, who rescued him from the brink of ruin.

Speaking to the British newspaper “Daily Mail” (online edition), a source who knows the Downeys well revealed:

“Without Susan, Robert would not be alive today.”

The source added:

“She truly was the shadow ruler, and it is obvious to everyone that if Susan had not chosen him, he would be at rock bottom or even worse by now.”

Susan reportedly issued an ultimatum to Downey, who struggled to break free from his drug addiction:

“Choose between the drugs and me.”

Downey then threw the drugs he had in his possession into the Pacific Ocean and proposed to Susan on the eve of her 30th birthday.

When Downey won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor at the 96th Academy Awards for his role as Lewis Strauss, chairman of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission who clashed with physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who led the U.S. development of the atomic bomb, in the 2023 film “Oppenheimer,” he expressed his gratitude to his wife in his acceptance speech:

“I’d also like to thank my veterinarian over there—actually, my wife, Susan Downey. She found me when I was like a growling animal and loved me back to life. That’s why I’m here today.”

Susan truly brought her husband back from the brink, almost like a beast tamer. It seems that Downey Jr.’s rise to the pinnacle of Hollywood was made possible in no small part by his wife Susan’s devoted support behind the scenes.