Unless Robert Downey Jr. appears in any other Marvel movie from now until June next year or he takes on another project where he will be paid more than $30 million, the actor is likely to lose his hold on the top of the list as the highest-paid actor for 2016. Unless, no other actor makes over $40 million next year, so RDJ still has an inside track on the title.
He does not have an Iron Man appearance in 2017 so it is likely that he will be out of the top of the list of highest paid actors by then.
However, there will be two Avengers film in 2018 and 2019 – “Avengers: Infinity War Part 1” and “Avengers: Infinity War Part 2” – to be followed by “Iron Man 4” most likely in 2020.
Marvel Studios would likely offer him no less than $80 million from any of those three films and there is a possibility even that he might be paid over $100 million for “Iron Man 4,” which would enable Robert Downey Jr. to become once again the highest-paid actor in the world for three consecutive years beginning in 2018 up to 2020. It will be his second three-peat by then for the title.
Amid initial scepticism about “Iron Man 4” which is anchored primarily on money matters, it becomes clear now that the movie is good as go, confirming the pronouncement of “Iron Man 3” Director Shane Black that the fourth installment to the franchise would really materialize.