Robert Downey Jr.’s Pay In This Avengers Film Was More Than Mark Ruffalo’s Franchise Earnings (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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If you thought playing Hulk would bring in monster paychecks, think again! Mark Ruffalo, the man who smashed his way into The Avengers as Bruce Banner, didn’t exactly see his bank account grow as fast as his fan base. While he became an MCU staple, his earnings didn’t quite reach superhero levels—especially next to his co-star Robert Downey Jr.
Here’s the kicker: Downey pulled a jaw-dropping $75 million from Avengers: Endgame alone, a single paycheck that outshined Ruffalo’s entire career as the Hulk. Yes, you read that right! Ruffalo might’ve been throwing down in Endgame, but Downey was cashing in like no other.
Ruffalo’s MCU journey started with a $3 million payday for his debut in The Avengers back in 2012. He earned the same for Age of Ultron, then upped his game to $6 million for Infinity War. By Endgame, he was pulling in about $15 million—solid, but still leagues behind Robert Downey Jr.‘s massive payday.
Ruffalo, meanwhile, was making waves as Hulk but never saw those levels of cash, partly because the character didn’t headline his own movie after The Incredible Hulk (2008) with Edward Norton. Marvel’s Hulk was limited to ensemble appearances, meaning he couldn’t capitalize on solo films as Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America did. Despite fan calls for a standalone Ruffalo Hulk movie, it didn’t happen, which kept his earnings lower than some of his Avengers counterparts.
Of course, Robert Downey Jr. wasn’t the only Endgame star pulling big bucks. Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, and Scarlett Johansson each earned $15 million for the film, a solid sum far from Downey’s high-powered payday. Even Bradley Cooper, who voiced Rocket Raccoon, scored $7 million from a 1% back-end deal.
By the time Endgame closed out his Iron Man legacy, Downey’s Marvel journey had earned him a spot among the highest-paid actors in the world. It is not a bad farewell to the character that helped launch the MCU. Meanwhile, Ruffalo continued to bring Bruce Banner to life in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, staying close to fans’ hearts as the big green Avenger—even if his paycheck was on a smaller scale.
