Robert Downey Jr. faces major backlash after lavish perks and eye-watering payday for Marvel return are leaked
Robert Downey Jr. has become the subject of criticism after details about his deal to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe were revealed.
Downey Jr. made a name for himself in Marvel in the role of Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, which granted him multiple big screen appearances both in his solo movies and through the Avengers instalments.
The Oppenheimer star ultimately bid goodbye to the role with 2019's Avengers: Endgame, so many fans were left surprised when he announced he'd be returning to the MCU in a completely new role.
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The actor confirmed he'd be bringing to life Doctor Doom for the upcoming Fantastic Four movie as he returns to the franchise along with directing duo Anthony and Joe Russo, who directed both Infinity War and Endgame.
Details of the supposed deal were reported earlier this year in a Variety article, which cited sources who'd claimed that Marvel was forking out $80 million for the Russo brothers alone.
One source, who was described as 'knowledgeable' by Variety, added that Downey Jr. has so far made between $500 million and $600 million over the course of his work with Marvel, but his deal to return is reportedly not limited to money.
The Oscar-winner is said to have been granted perks including private jet travel, dedicated security and a whole 'trailer encampment'; add-ons which have pulled in backlash from some critics.
The private jet in particular is one point of contention for internet users, with Yahoo! Life describing its usage as 'problematic'.
The publisher cited a report by Transport & Environment which reported that private planes are up to 14 times more polluting per passenger than commercial planes, and 50 times more polluting than trains.
Downey Jr.'s reported private plane has also drawn criticism from people who pointed out that he has previously been an advocate for environmentally-friendly travel.
Last year, the actor gave away six eco-modified cars from his show Downey's Dream Cars as part of an effort to promote sustainable solutions and support his FootPrint Coalition, which invests in technologies which can help tackle climate change.
Pointing to this apparent discrepancy, one Twitter user shared Variety's report and wrote: "Robert Downey Jr made a TV show detailing how awesome he is for ruining classic cars to make them run on vegetable oil.
"So [receiving] $100MM and a private jet to return to the MCU is funny. Because the only ones who think celebrities aren't hypocrites are celebrities."
Downey Jr. has expressed his excitement to return to the Marvel Universe and take on a new role, telling USA Today: "I looked into this character, and I was like, 'Wow'."
UNILAD has reached out to representatives for Downey Jr. for comment.
Topics: Robert Downey Jr, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Iron Man, Avengers
Emily Brown