Robert Downey Jr confirms $50 million 'Avengers' salary

The rumours about Robert Downey Jr.'s fat $50 million pay cheque have been proven true, thanks to a confirmation from Mister Tony Stark himself.

In an interview with 'GQ' magazine, the star of 'Iron Man 3' was quizzed as to whether reports of his huge dividend from 'The Avengers' -once box-office bonuses and backend compensation were factored in for the film - were in the right ballpark.

Downey smiled and replied "yeah." Adding "Isn't that crazy? They're so pissed. I can't believe it. I'm what's known as a 'strategic cost.'"

However, Downey's staggering take home pay could be just a drop in the ocean, with 'Avengers Assemble' currently standing as the third biggest grossing film of all time.

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Not only that, but  his new Marvel film, 'Iron man 3'  is predicted to take over $150 million this weekend on its US opening and has already grossed $345.4 million worldwide.

Experts predict that the film's worldwide takings could top $600 million by Sunday.