Will Robert Downey Jr. strike blow for movie star power with
'Avengers' deal?  By Brent Lang  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) -
Robert Downey Jr. may be striking a blow for good old-fashioned
star power as he prepares to square off against Disney and
Marvel over his slice of the pie on "The Avengers 2" and "Iron
Man 4."  If the two sides don't reach a new contract agreement
it could rob the studio of the charismatic center of its two
highest grossing superhero franchises, potentially jeopardizing
Disney and Marvel's plans to continue expanding its comic-book
universe beyond Tony Stark and Earth's Mightiest Heroes.  Disney
will continue making Iron Man movies with or without Downey's
participation, but box office analysts agree that they are
unlikely to achieve the same record-breaking numbers without his
name above the title. That makes him the rare star who can
essentially hold a studio hostage to his whims and salary
demands.  "In today's age of moviemaking, concept is king, but
there are a few performers who are