Nearly a decade after she made her MCU debut inIron Man 2, actressScarlett Johanssonis only just now finally getting a salary competitive with many of her male costars. PerTHR, the performer will pull in a whopping $15 million for theBlack Widowmovie, which has been rumored for years but is now finally getting off the ground as part of Marvel’s post-Avengers 4slate. The $15 million is equal to whatChris EvansandChris Hemsworthpulled in for this year’sAvengers: Infinity War, and the two Chrises also nabbed $15 million each forCaptain America: Civil War,Thor: Ragnarok, andAvengers 4.
Johansson, it appears, did not receive that same level of salary even though she’s been in the MCU longer, is one of the most in-demand actresses, and is one of only very few female performers studios will bank on to lead an action movie (see:Lucy,Ghost in the Shell). Granted Evans and Hemsworth both had their own franchises to lead, but Johansson was a co-star inThe Winter Soldierand has been a fan-favorite anchor of the MCU for years. Better late than never I suppose.
Back in the day when Marvel Studios presidentKevin Feigereported to Marvel Entertainment CEOIke Perlmutter, Marvel was known for being cheap with its actor contracts.Robert Downey Jr.made only $500,000 for the firstIron Manmovie, andSamuel L. Jacksonfamously balked (initially) when presented with a 9-picture contract for his role as Nick Fury. But the MCU is almost a guaranteed brand in and of itself now, where even the “minor” movies likeAnt-Man and the Waspstill pull in over $600 million.
Johansson reportedly pulled in a low seven-figure salary for the firstAvengersmovie, but Downey Jr.—who kicked this whole shebang off—had negotiated for a whopping $50 million payday on that movie. Now that the MCU has a track record and Feige doesn’t have to sell these salaries to the notoriously stingy Perlmutter (Feige now reports directly to Disney’sAlan Horn), things are going smoother.Chadwick Bosemanmade a reported $2 million forBlack Pantherand is expected to receive a significant raise for the sequel, whileBrie Larson—whose Oscar win raises her quote—reportedly made $5 million forCaptain Marvel, but in exchange her deal locks her in for multiple Marvel movies.
Infinity Warpulled in $2 billion and its sequel, the untitledAvengers 4, will no doubt bring in a similar gross, so Marvel isn’t exactly hurting for money. At long last, it’s nice to see Johansson’s salary comparative to that of her male co-stars.
