Fans slam Marvel for reportedly paying Robert Downey Jr. $100M for Dr. Doom and Angela Bassett $350K

Reporting on Marvel's salaries has been inconsistent. Just Jared reports Chadwick Boseman earned $2 million for his role in Black Panther, which suggests Angela Bassett might have earned slightly less for her supporting role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Estimates indicate she could have received around $350,000 for the film.

Meanwhile, Robert Downey Jr. is rumored to be earning up to $200 million for his role as Doctor Doom in upcoming MCU films, potentially surpassing Tom Cruise’s reported $100 million salary for Top Gun: Maverick. Downey Jr.'s base salary is reportedly $100 million for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, with additional incentives that could double his earnings. This would place him ahead of Cruise, whose salary included backend profits from Top Gun: Maverick.

Fans have expressed frustration on social media over the significant disparity between his salary and Angela Bassett’s earnings. One user questioned: “What exactly does RDJ bring to the table that requires over 200x that amount of money?”

Others defended Downey Jr., noting his significant contribution to the franchise, with one fan stating, “He quite literally made the MCU what it was at its peak,” and suggesting, “It’s not surprising that they’d cling to him like this when their new products don’t do as well.”

Another fan commented, “There would be no MCU without him.”