Tony Stark may be the richest man in the Avengers, but the man who plays him is doing pretty well too, sitting pretty once again atop the Forbes’ list of the Top 25 Earning Actors. Robert Downey Jr. matched his $75 million take from the previous year to earn the top spot for the period from June 2013 to June 2014.
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Amazingly, Downey accomplished his back-to-back victories without releasing a film during the period accounted for. It was the staying power of “Iron Man 3,” and his back-end deal, that earned him the $75 million for the most recent year. “Iron Man 3” first hit theaters in May 2013, but continued making money for months afterward, amassing more than $1.2 billion in the global box office.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe star was joined by fellow Avenger Chris Hemsworth, with $37 million, thanks to “Thor: The Dark World” surpassing earnings from the previous film in the franchise. Upcoming Marvel star Bradley Cooper came in third with $46 million, with star turns in “The Hangover Part 3” and “American Hustle.” He’s sure to score again when “Guardians of the Galaxy” hits theaters in August.
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Dwayne Johnson came in second for the earning period with $52 million, thanks to the continuing strength of the “Fast & Furious” franchise, while Leonardo DiCaprio ranked fourth with $39 million. He did it with more sophisticated adult fare like “The Great Gatsby” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
The Top 10 is rounded out by Liam Neeson ($36 million), Ben Affleck ($35 million), Christian Bale ($35 million), Will Smith ($32 million), and Mark Wahlberg ($32 million).