Hollywood is increasingly in the business of making movies with disposable actors — performers who are almost interchangeable and easily replaced. The special effects and bombastic action sequences required for the modern blockbuster cost many millions of dollars. Any money studios can save by casting less-famous actors is money that can go to the bottom line. And if those actors can be easily swapped out in sequels, all the better. A disposable actor doesn’t really have the leverage to demand a big pay hike.
If there’s one actor who has proved himself in-disposable, it’s Robert Downey Jr. The actor has made millions playing Iron Man and for the second year in a row, he tops FORBES’ list of the Top Earning Actors. We estimate that Downey earned $75 million between June 2013 and June 2014, the same amount as he earned last year.
Downey reigns as the highest paid man in Hollywood because at this point, it would be incredibly difficult for Marvel to continue makingIron Man and Avengers films without him. Marvel movies starring Downey have earned almost $4 billion at the global box office and millions more on home video, not to mention the millions the movies have generated in merchandise.
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