Robert Downey Jr. has reportedly scored a lucrative deal outside Hollywood movie business. The billionaire industrialist Tony Stark a.k.a Iron Man in Marvel's superhero movie universe has signed a deal worth about $12 million with electronic giant company HTC, AceShowbiz said citing Bloomberg.

It's rumored that the actor, who is also best known for his role as detective genius Sherlock Holmes, is hired to front a two-year global marketing for the Taiwanese company's smartphone. As part of the deal, he is reportedly given creative control over the commercials where he will appear.

Citing two unnamed sources, the publication reports that Downey Jr. will appear as himself, not the famous characters in his hit films that include "Iron Man", "The Avengers" and "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows", in the upcoming ads.