Robert Downey Jr.'s Biggest Paydays Beyond Marvel, Ranked
Forget the arc reactor—Robert Downey Jr.’s real power surge happened off-screen. Follow his non-Marvel paydays to see how a once-risky bet became Hollywood’s most bankable force, rewriting the rules of blockbuster clout.
For a long stretch, Robert Downey Jr. and Tony Stark were basically synonyms. But if you strip away the armor, the paychecks he pulled outside Marvel tell a cleaner story about leverage, risk, and a comeback done the hard way. These movies span broad comedy, period action, satire, and prestige drama, and each one nudged his quote upward (or, in one case, downward by choice) for a reason. Below, I’m counting down his biggest non-MCU paydays and how each gig helped cement his value.
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Dolittle (2020) — $20 million (Variety)
On paper, this had safety written all over it: family fantasy, legacy IP, a giant studio budget, and RDJ newly out of Iron Man mode. He reportedly took around $20 million upfront, and his wife Susan Downey produced, so this wasn’t just a star vehicle, it was a home-court swing.
The plot: Dr. John Dolittle, a recluse who talks to animals, sets off to save a dying queen. The voice cast was absurdly stacked — Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, Tom Holland, Selena Gomez, John Cena, Octavia Spencer — but the movie never found a pulse with audiences or critics, and any sequel hopes quietly evaporated.
"I had some reservations," Downey told The New York Times Magazine. "Me and my team seemed a little too excited about the deal and not quite excited enough about the merits of the execution."
Worldwide box office: $251.7 million. Rotten Tomatoes: 15%. Main cast: Robert Downey Jr., Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, Tom Holland. Available to rent or buy on Prime Video and Apple TV.
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Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) — $15 million (per Celebrity Net Worth)
By round two, Downey wasn’t just playing Sherlock — he owned him. This sequel widens the battlefield as Holmes hunts Professor Moriarty to stop a manufactured continental conflict. The vibe is heavier, the banter tighter, and Downey plays the toll of constant calculation right on his face.
Jude Law returns as a wonderfully grounded Watson, and Jared Harris brings a precise, menacing Moriarty, with Noomi Rapace joining the chase. That $15 million check wasn’t for potential anymore; it was the studio paying for a sure thing.
Worldwide box office: $535.6 million. Rotten Tomatoes: 60%. Main cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Jared Harris, Noomi Rapace. Available to rent on Apple TV.
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Due Date (2010) — $12 million
Here, Downey ditches the franchise safety net to anchor a straight-up studio comedy. As Peter Highman, a guy just trying to get home for the birth of his child, he gets stuck with Zach Galifianakis’ chaos tornado. The jokes land because Downey plays the mounting exasperation like a thriller.
The payday reportedly hit $12 million, which is the industry way of saying: we think your name alone opens a weekend. Michelle Monaghan and Jamie Foxx circle the storm, but it’s mostly the Downey-and-Zach pressure cooker show.
Worldwide box office: $211.8 million. Rotten Tomatoes: 39%. Main cast: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan. Available to rent on Apple TV.
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Sherlock Holmes (2009) — $9 million
The first Ritchie/Downey Sherlock was a calculated bet at a transitional moment. Period detective stories aren’t automatic crowd-pleasers, and RDJ was still rebuilding. His take — hyper-observant brawler with a weaponized mind — rebranded Holmes for a new crowd and set the template for his post-comeback swagger.
Jude Law’s Watson keeps the movie honest, and Rachel McAdams adds sting and texture. The reported $9 million fee was a pivot point; the global hit that followed gave him leverage for the next decade.
Worldwide box office: $524 million. Rotten Tomatoes: 70%. Main cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams. Available to rent on Apple TV.
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Oppenheimer (2023) — $4 million (Variety)
After the big checks, Downey took the opposite tack: a lean $4 million to play Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’s historical epic. Variety reported that Emily Blunt and Matt Damon were in the same ballpark, and that the trio structured backend participation tied to performance — a smart move given how this turned out.
As Strauss, Downey is cool, calculating, and quietly devastating — the kind of performance that reminds you he can disappear into a role when the script and director are dialed in. The movie didn’t just work; it became an event.
Worldwide box office: $975.8 million. Rotten Tomatoes: 93%. Main cast: Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Matt Damon. Available for digital rental on Prime Video and Apple TV.
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Tropic Thunder (2008) — $2 million
One of the gutsiest choices of his career. As Kirk Lazarus, an awards-chasing method actor who loses the plot in a war-movie-within-a-movie, Downey threads a satire that aims squarely at Hollywood’s ego and excess. It’s a narrow ledge to walk; he never slips.
The $2 million paycheck looks tiny next to his later quotes, but the return was enormous: critical acclaim, a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, and a reminder that he could swing big outside capes and cuffs. Ben Stiller and Jack Black anchor the chaos, with Tom Cruise popping in for one of his wildest left turns.
Worldwide box office: $195.7 million. Rotten Tomatoes: 82%. Main cast: Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Tom Cruise. Streaming on fuboTV.
Take the superhero glow out of the equation, and the numbers still track: Downey rebuilt trust job by job, and studios paid for reliability, not hype. Which of these actually locked in his post-Marvel leverage for you? Drop your pick and let’s argue it out.