Robert Downey Jr. Wasn’t the Highest Paid Actor in Iron Man

The Academy Award nominee Robert Downey Jr. remains one of the most highest paid actors in the world now. But looks like that was not the case always. Back in 2008 when he starred in Iron Man as Tony Stark, he was struggling to revive his career which had been significantly damaged by substance abuse. So, naturally, he agreed to work at a lower price. But the situations and his rate increased years later when he played his character again in Avengers Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Robert Downey Jr. Made Less Money Than Terrance Howard in Iron Man

Jon Favreau took a great risk in casting Robert Downey Jr. as the lead character Tony Stark. Despite his bosses wanting a more dependable actor in the role, the director remained persistent on his casting choice. He had full confidence on his choice, and considering his derailed career, Downey had no choice but to agree to the role. In fact, he even agreed to work on a much lesser price than he deserved because all he wanted was to re-establish himself.

So, who got paid the most back when Iron Man was filmed? Oscar winners Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow failed to make that mark as well. Instead, that distinction was made by Terrance Howard. Howard was an established and trusted name in Hollywood who had starred in many hit films. Since he was becoming a household name, the executives on Iron Man wanted him in. Thus, Howard remained the first actor to be cast in on the movie.

However, later, Favreau and others were disgruntled by Howard’s behavior on the sets. In fact, most of his screen time in the post-production time. In times of later movies, Howard was offered a much-decreased salary. He refused, and the two parties parted ways. As for Robert Downey Jr., he was offered much more money and soon became one of the highest-paid actors by the time Avengers Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame were filmed.