The dust is now beginning to settle on the big Marvel news coming out of Comic-Con International 2024 (SDCC 2024). If you’re (inexplicably) unaware of such news, we’ll recap it for you. The Russo brothers are back to direct two new Avengers movies: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Back in the MCU with them is none other than Robert Downey Jr., who will portray Doctor Doom. So what is it going to cost Disney to get back to their winning Marvel formula? A lot. A whole lot.

Robert Downey, Junior; Doom;
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: (Robert Downey, Junior reveals himself as Doctor Doom at the Marvel Studios Panel in Hall H at SDCC in San Diego, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)

According to Variety, the Russo brothers come with a hefty price tag of $80 million. As if that weren’t enough, the deal also includes escalator clauses that could bump their salary significantly. Those kick in at $750 million and $1 billion worldwide gross resulting from the films. While that seems extraordinarily significant, remember this: Avengers: Endgame earned nearly $3 billion at the box office, and that was only one of the Russo brothers Marvel films. Combined, their MCU films have brought Marvel and Disney over $6.6 billion dollars gross. If they cost that much to direct, however, how much will Robert Downey Jr. cost to return? He recently won an Oscar for Oppenheimer, after all.


Russo brothers, Robert Downey Jr. return at huge cost

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: (L-R) Joe Russo, Anthony Russo and Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios speak onstage during the Marvel Studios Panel in Hall H at SDCC in San Diego, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)

We don’t know much about the star actor’s payout other than it will be “significantly more” than the two Russo brothers are getting…. Combined. The compensation package for Robert Downey Jr. also includes some pretty big incentives. Not only will he get private jet travel for filming, he’ll also receive his own security detail. On top of that, there won’t be an on-set trailer for the former Iron Man star. No, he’ll have an entire “trailer encampment.”

That all seems a bit much, but…. With the way Marvel has been flailing since Endgame left theaters, perhaps it will be money well spent in the end. Time will tell. For now, we’ll have to wait until at least 2026 to see the Russo brothers and Robert Downey Jr. back in Marvel action.

For a full recap of everything Marvel at SDCC, click HERE.