"Iron Man" Robert Downey Jr. is Hollywood's highest paid actor

With estimated earnings of $75 million, "Iron Man" Robert Downey Jr. is Hollywood's highest paid actor, ahead of Channing Tatum and Hugh Jackman, according to Forbes.com.

Downey, 48, starred in Disney's Marvel superhero films "The Avengers" in 2012 and "Iron Man 3" in 2013, each of which earned more than $1 billion at the box office, assuring him the top spot in the annual ranking of Hollywood's top acting earners.

New father Tatum, 33, who self-financed the male-stripper movie "Magic Mike" that made $167 million with director Steven Soderbergh, captured the No. 2 spot with estimated earnings of $60 million. Australian actor Jackman, 44, whose new movie "The Wolverine" opens in U.S. theaters next week, was not far behind with $55 million.

Mark Wahlberg, 42, had a comedy hit with "Ted," a film that earned $550 million and pumped up his earning to $52 million to secure fourth place, and wrestler-turned actor Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, 41, rounded out the top five with $46 million.

Johnson starred in "Fast and Furious 6," which made $500 million at the box office in less than two weeks, and "G.I. Joe: Retaliation."

Adam Sandler, 46, at No. 7, was the only comedian to make the top 10 thanks mainly to the animated hit "Hotel Transylvania, which grossed $347 million and helped bump his earnings up to $37 million.

Last year, Tom Cruise, 51, topped the list with earnings of $75 million. This year, he dropped to eighth place with $35 million, gained largely from his international audience, Forbes said.

Denzel Washington, 58, took a cut in pay in exchange for a share of the profits for "Flight," which turned out to be a shrewd deal. The film made $162 million putting the Oscar winner in ninth place with earnings of $33 million.

Forbes.com compiled the ranking and estimated earnings by talking to managers, producers and agents.

Take a look at the income of all of this past year's top leading men:

1. Robert Downey Jr -- $75 million

2. Channing Tatum -- $60 million

3. Hugh Jackman -- $55 million

4. Mark Wahlberg -- $52 million

5. Dwayne Johnson -- $46 million

6. Leonardo DiCaprio -- $39 million

7. Adam Sandler -- $37 million

8. Tom Cruise -- $35 million

9. Denzel Washington -- $33 million

10. Liam Nieson -- $32 million

Source: www.forbes.com

Marvel Vs DC

Just the facts

1. Marvel and DC are rival comic book companies.

2. Marvel and DC have teamed up several times in the past.

3. Marvel and DC are like Coke and Pepsi, to the layperson.

4. Pepsi owns Dr. Pepper while Coke offers Mr. Pibb.

Box-office Performance

When it comes to box-office dollars, the Avengers and other Marvel superheroes are mightier than DC Comics.

Films based on Marvel comic books have generated 47 percent more in domestic box-office sales on average than DC Comics movies. The 28 Marvel films dating back to 1998 have averaged $190 million, compared with $129 million for 23 DC Comics movies starting with “Superman” in 1978.

Time Warner is clearly relying on DC Comics to replace (if even possible) the Harry Potter franchise. The Harry Potter films, based on the J.K. Rowling books, ended their run in 2011.“The Avengers,” the 2012 movie featuring Iron Man, Captain America and the Hulk, was the highest-grossing film for either comic-book brand, with $1.5 billion in global receipts. The success of Marvel movies has given a boost to Walt Disney Co., which acquired Marvel Entertainment Inc. at the end of 2009 for about $4 billion. Time Warner Inc. (TWX), meanwhile, has hitched its fortunes to DC Comics fare, including the Batman films and this week’s “Man of Steel” release.

Nolan’s Touch

For Time Warner, which acquired DC Comics when Time Inc. merged with Warner Communications in 1990, “The Dark Knight Rises” was its biggest comic-book blockbuster. The 2012 film - the third installment in a series directed by Christopher Nolan - has generated about $1.1 billion in global receipts, according to Box Office Mojo.

Warner has attempted to give “Man of Steel” a similar look and tone to the “Dark Knight” films by hiring Nolan to produce the film. Nolan, the writer and director behind “Inception,” also created the storyline used as the basis for the Superman script.

The movie, starring British actor Henry Cavill as the world’s most famous Kryptonian, is expected to open in the U.S. and Canada with sales of $115 million and take in $357 million in the region during its theatrical run, the film-industry website Boxoffice.com projects. It cost about $225 million to make, according to Box Office Mojo.

Box-office inflation has helped Marvel outshine DC Comics because more of its movies were released in recent years. Marvel has debuted 13 films since 2007, while DC has only delivered seven.

Average ticket prices have tripled since 1980, giving more recent films Hulk-sized dollar figures. The total domestic grosses for Marvel are $5.3 billion, compared with about $3 billion for DC.

In 2009, Time Warner placed DC Comics under its film division, highlighting its growing reliance on using the iconic characters to generate hits. In addition to Superman and Batman, DC superheroes include Aquaman, the Green Lantern and Wonder Woman.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com