In the name of continuity, Marvel Studios revived another practice from the old Hollywood system: signing actors to long-term contracts, typically for nine movies. While the immediate justification was that Marvel needed its superheroes on call for crossovers and team-ups, the underlying motivation was financial. After Downey used the success of Iron Man to negotiate gargantuan paydays, Marvel Studios wanted the cost certainty of young talent locked into affordable multiyear deals. (That was another reason Finn didn’t focus on the biggest possible name for each role.)
