How much Disney paid Scarlett Johansson and other Marvel stars

Disney

After starring in seven Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, Scarlett Johansson was expected to have a big paycheck with “Black Widow.”

The actress has so far earned $ 20 million for her long-awaited independent film, Disney recently told the Wall Street Journal – a far cry from the reported $ 400,000 she earned on her first MCU appearance, in ” Iron Man 2 “in 2010.

But she says she was set to pocket tens of millions of additional bonuses based on the film’s box office performance. It’s a tactic that Disney has been using with all of its Marvel stars for over a decade: get them cheap, then raise their pay. if movies make money.

“Black Widow” was to star like the other MCU movies and be a cash cow for its lead role. But due to the pandemic, the movie was released in theaters and on Disney + simultaneously, so this Marvel movie didn’t match the success of its predecessors.

Now, Johansson is suing Disney over the long-awaited release plan for her standalone film, claiming in the lawsuit that her contract guaranteed an exclusive theatrical release for “Black Widow” and that she lost at least $ 50 million because the film was simultaneously streaming.

(Disney, in its counter statement to the WSJ regarding the lawsuit, argued that the studio had “fully complied” with Johansson’s contract and also publicly disclosed its $ 20 million in “Black Widow” earnings to date, noting that she “has the ability to earn more” on the film.)

So how much have MCU stars made in the past from playing Disney and patiently waiting for big wins? Here’s a look at how six other actors were paid during their time in the MCU.

Note: Disney’s Marvel Entertainment has consistently refused to confirm or deny salary reports. Most of the numbers below are based on information provided by sources and have not been independently verified by Insider.