10 Huge Recurring Problems The MCU Needs To Solve
8. Contracts Are Ending
Robert Downey Jr. was paid $500,000 to star in the first Iron Man. Less than a decade and several contract renewals later, he is estimated to have earned $200m from the MCU. For a studio rumored to drive a hard bargain, that has to sting.
Those involved with Avengers: Infinity War have touted it as a 'game-changing' event for the MCU, and it surely can't be a coincidence that the contracts of several key players are expiring right around the release of Avengers 4. Are Marvel going to keep their big names around, or hit the reset button and let a new generation of characters take over?
Downey Jr. has made it clear he'll stick around as long as Marvel keep paying him, Chris Evans has been fairly evasive about his future, and Chris Hemsworth has said virtually nothing, which makes sense given his box office track record outside of Thor. With Mark Ruffalo and Jeremy Renner also reportedly set to become free agents, this latest round of contract talks could be the biggest ever.
It could be telling that the only Marvel Studios movies announced for after Avengers 4 are the untitled Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Perhaps the studio are finally willing to let the old guard retire and have the Guardians, Spidey, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, and Captain Marvel lead the MCU into the future.