Iron Man 4 is happening, and Robert Downey Jr. will be the man behind the mask, but first the actor and the studio have to hammer out his fee.
Director Shane Black confirmed Downey will star in the much anticipated fourth installment of the Iron Man franchise, putting to rest fears the actor would retire .
Downey is reportedly asking for an increase in his $50 million fee, something Marvel is considering as Iron Man 3 was a huge success earning $1.22 billion at box offices worldwide.
Until Marvel and Robert can work out an agreement on his fee, however, the movie remains grounded.
Recently ranked as the world’s highest paying actor for the third year in a row, Robert Downey Jr. reportedly made $80 million from his role in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
The huge payday was thanks to a profit-sharing deal that netted him a nice chunk of the movie’s profits. He was also reportedly paid $40 million for playing Iron Man in Marvel’s upcoming Captain America: Civil War .
He was followed by Jackie Chan with $50 million and Vin Diesel with $47 million; Jennifer Lawrence was the highest paid female actress with $52 million.
Actors from Bollywood also made it into the top ten list.
Downey and Iron Man co-star Gwyneth Paltrow were recently spotted together soaking up the sun at the beach. The selfie, posted on Instagram by Paltrow, shows the star’s natural beauty as she poses next to Downey without makeup. No word yet as to whether the picnic had anything to do with upcoming Marvel movies.
Other rumors continue to circulate in Hollywood, including one in which a grown-up Harley Kenner, played by Ty Simpkins, will replace Downey in a future Iron Man movie.
Another persistent rumor is that Iron Man 4 will be based on the Ten Rings, a terrorist organization devoted to destroying world peace at all costs. Led by the Mandarin, the group kidnapped Tony Stark in the original Iron Man movie forcing the billionaire philanthropist playboy to create the armored suit.
Until then, Robert Downey Jr. fans can catch him in Captain America: Civil War opening in theaters May 6, 2016.
The movie marks the beginning of Phase 3, a time of discord set after Ultron’s attack on Earth. During this tumultuous time, Iron Man is set to battle it out with Captain America before starring in his own movie.
Photo by Ian Gavan / Kevin Winter /Getty Images/ Gwyneth Paltrow /Instagram
