With "Iron Man 3" breaking box-office records, Robert Downey Jr. is emerging as the go-to blockbuster man. But is he big enough to beat world box-office champ Johnny Depp?
Downey has taken on the role of a superhero, playing Tony Stark in the "Iron Man" franchise. The first movie made more than $500 million worldwide, with its sequel raking in more than $600 million. "Iron Man 3" has made more than $1 billion so far and will go on to surpass the totals of both previous movies put together. His character also appeared in “The Avengers,” which made a little over $1.5 billion worldwide.
And Downey also appeared as the famed English detective in two Sherlock Holmes movies. The first was released in 2009, the second in 2011 -- and each grossed more than $500 million worldwide.
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Other Downey movies include “Due Date,” which made more than $200 million and “Tropic Thunder,” which topped $100 million.
But he still hasn’t caught up to Depp.
Depp has had massive success with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise that has four movies with a fifth coming. Depp plays Captain Jack Sparrow. The first movie in the franchise, “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” made more than $600 million worldwide. The second movie, “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” and the fourth “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” made more than $1 billion each, while the third movie "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" made more than $900 million.
