Pedro Pascal Helped Keep The Fantastic Four: First Steps Budget Manageable, But What About Robert Downey Jr. In Avengers: Doomsday?

While we’re all celebrating The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ path to victory, the 2025 movie release has helped (Doctor) Doom the Marvel Cinematic Universe. How else would you describe the fact that the arrival of Robert Downey Jr.’s Avengers: Doomsday role is that much closer?

Back in the world of reality, the brass at Marvel Studios is looking to keep its budgets in check, and apparently was able to do so with Pedro Pascal and company’s debut in their sandbox. Don’t expect that to last, as reports on veteran team members returning for Avengers: Doomsday indicate a very different picture; but for some solid reasons.

Pedro Pascal’s Fantastic Four Pay Day Rationale, Explained

Keep in mind, what we’re about to discuss is all based off of “insider” accounts and speculation. However, according to Variety, the reported reason The Last of Us' former leading man was able to help keep the numbers reasonable is because this adventure is considered his big leap from TV lead to the big screen player.

By that logic, one could probably apply the same thinking to The Bear’s Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Stranger Things’ Joseph Quinn, as they too have found themselves as first time Marvel movie leads. Meanwhile, Vanessa Kirby theoretically could have had an advantage in her negotiations, considering she’s been in two Mission: Impossible movies, as well as Hobbs & Shaw.

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This explains the recent stories about how X-Men’s upcoming casting strategy is one that’s focusing on relative unknowns, in the name of providing freshness and savings. Should this model hold up, and in light of First Steps’ fantastic opening weekend, one shouldn’t expect that thinking to hold up with Avengers: Doomsday.

Avengers: Doomsday Supposedly Means Big Bucks For Robert Downey Jr. And Chris Hemsworth

I’m reminded of a saying from another wildly successful comic book movie when looking at this next part of our story. After all, it was Heath Ledger’s Joker from The Dark Knight who once said, “If you’re good at something, never do it for free.”

While founding Avengers Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Hemsworth were surely being paid well for their efforts on 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, one shouldn’t expect that to just go away as a result of some time and distance in the MCU.

Superhero Hype can back that claim short of confirmation, as they’ve reported that the Iron Man star could be making “significantly more than $80 million” for both of Marvel’s cinematic splash-panel event pictures. Likewise, the original reporting cited above has Hemsworth’s Thor revival worthy of similar treatment, stating that both men “won’t be working at a discount.”

I’m sure if you added the value of Robert Downey Jr.’s Avengers: Doomsday perks into the equation, whatever the true number is would be even higher. However, after over a decade of connected universe storytelling (an an Oscar win in Team Downey’s corner), these reportedly big pay days for the founding team members sound fair and valid.

That being said, one can only hope that Pedro Pascal and the rest of the Fantastic Four crew will soon see such consideration in their future endeavors; especially with their own parts to play as part of Doomsday’s uber-stacked cast. We’ll see where that money went next Christmas, as December 18th will herald the day when the Doctor (Doom) is in theaters worldwide.