Out of the numerous actors involved in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Robert Downey Jr. has been arguably the most successful one for the past few years. There just didn't seem to be another fellow superhero that could catch up to his impressive earnings. Well, think again because even though Downey Jr. may be one of the most recognizable faces in the MCU, another another star has beaten him as the MCU's highest paid actor.

Forbes recently released its 2017 Highest Paid Actors list, and thanks to said list, we have learned that Vin Diesel took home an impressive $54 million paycheck, beating out Downey Jr.'s $48 million. Keep in mind though, that amount didn't all come from his work in the MCU, namely GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Vol. 2 (even though it was certainly a big help). The actor appeared in two other blockbusters this year, XXX: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE, and FATE OF THE FURIOUS. For the latter, Forbes reported that he received a cut from its impressive $1.2 billion box office haul. No matter which way you look at it, that's mighty impressive.

How Does Diesel Compare To Other MCU Actors On The Forbes List?

Diesel wasn't the only Marvel player who found great financial success this year. There were seven other MCU actors who made it into Forbes' list and their earnings are nothing to sneeze at. Here's how Diesel's massive payday compared to his co-stars':

Now, those amounts may look impressive, but there's even more success coming their way. AVENGERS; INFINITY WAR is coming next year and that film is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. Going by Marvel's impressive box office track record, odds are it will be a huge money-maker. Seeing how almost every actor on the list (except apparently for Samuel L. Jackson) will be part of the superhero epic, their earnings will most likely go through the roof.

On top of that, Avengers 4 is coming just one year later. So, it's safe to say our MCU stars will have a really good thing going for the next two years. We'll get to see them come together to fend off Thanos when AVENGERS; INFINITY WAR hits theaters on May 4, 2018.

[Source: Forbes]