Robert Downey Jr has rocketed to the top of Forbes' annual list of the highest paid actors in the world thanks to the multi-billion dollar box office success of superhero movies The Avengers and Iron Man 3.

Downey Jr, who was not even in last year's top 10, has leapfrogged the likes of Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio to the peak of the list. His success confirms that the once-troubled US actor, who struggled for many years with substance abuse and was widely regarded as box office poison by studios, is now a firm fixture amongst Hollywood royalty. The US actor reportedly received a share of the profits from The Avengers, which took more than $1.5bn last year, and Forbes estimates his earnings at a staggering $75m between June 2012 and June 2013.

Second on this year's list is an even more surprising figure, and a relative newcomer to the acting A-list. Channing Tatum has transformed his career via a series of films with the Oscar-winning film-maker Stephen Soderbergh in the past two years. Most important of these, financially speaking, was the 2012 drama Magic Mike, based on the actor's own experiences as a youthful Florida stripper. The film brought in $167m globally on a budget of just $7m - and with Soderbergh and Tatum having financed the project with their own cash, each took home a sizeable chunk of the profits. Tatum's earnings are estimated at $60m for the past year, according to Forbes.

Third spot on the list goes to Australia's Hugh Jackman, thanks to the continuing box office success of the X-Men films, as well as the musical adaptation Les Miserables. Jackman, whose latest superhero movie The Wolverine debuts later this month, earned an estimated $55m over the past year. Mark Wahlberg, with $52m in earnings from films such as the ribald Seth Macfarlane comedy smash Ted, and Dwayne Johnson ($46m from movies such as Fast and Furious 6) round out the top five.

Elsewhere in the top 10 there are plenty of familiar faces. Previous No 1 earners DiCaprio ($39m) and Cruise ($35m) nestle into sixth and eighth spots thanks, respectively, to the success of period drama The Great Gatsby and action flick Jack Reacher. Adam Sandler ($37m) splits the pair in seventh due to paydays from animated hit Hotel Transylvania and the upcoming Grown Ups 2 - and despite box office ignominy for self-produced comedies That's My Boy and Jack and Jill. The top 10 is rounded out by Flight's Denzel Washington ($33m) in ninth place and Liam Neeson ($32m) in 10th thanks to his new-found action star status and paydays from Taken 2 and The Grey.

Forbes' list only features male actors. The current highest paid female actor in the world (according to Forbes' most recent list) is Twilight's Kristen Stewart, who with $35m in earnings between June 2011 and June 2012 would have crept into the bottom half of the male top 10.

Forbes magazine top 10 highest earners June 2012 to June 2013

1. Robert Downey Jr ($75m)

2. Channing Tatum ($60m)

3. Hugh Jackman ($55m)

4. Mark Wahlberg ($52m)

5. Dwayne Johnson ($46m)

6. Leonardo DiCaprio ($39m)

7. Adam Sandler ($37m)

8. Tom Cruise ($35m)

9. Denzel Washington ($33m)

10. Liam Neeson ($32m)