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After a lot of hard work and three movies within the Marvel franchise (and a fourth on the way), it looks like Robert Downey Jr. has finally made it big. Yes, he was an A-list actor before, but with the success of “Marvel’s The Avengers,” Downey is poised to join the ultra-elite list of top paid actors this year.

We’ve taken a look at A-list actor’s salaries before, and the consensus was that while there are some superstars out there raking in tens of millions of dollars a year, most A-listers make an average somewhere around $16 million per year. The top actors in Hollywood, however, can make more than that with a single movie.
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As “The Avengers” continues to rake in the dough, so does Robert Downey Jr.. While the exact amount may not be known for some time, we do know that his current contract nets him somewhere between five and seven percent of Marvel’s revenue from the films he stars in as Tony Stark / Iron Man. Given the fact that the film has grossed over $1 billion (and counting) in just 19 days, the total could be even more than the currently estimated $50 million.
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This is a big step up for Downey, which will surely land him among the top paid actors this year. The usual list of top paid actors in recent years include such luminaries as Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Adam Sandler. But it won’t make him the highest paid actor for a single film … yet. Although it’s hard to get solid numbers on such statistics because of ongoing royalties and the like, it appears as if that distinction goes to Tom Cruise for his role in “War of The Worlds” in 2005. Cruise was paid a smooth 20%, which was estimated at $100 million. Other notable payments for a single film include Johnny Depp in the fourth “Pirates of The Caribbean” ($56 million) and Tom Hanks in “The DaVinci Code” ($51 million).
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As a side note, Downey’s co-stars won’t be making anything near his earnings. According to Moviefone, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, and Mark Ruffalo all received paychecks around $2-3 million. Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson will reportedly be paid between $4-$6 million.
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Sound off in the comments! Do you think it’s fair for Robert Downey Jr. to earn so much more than the other Avengers?