Scarlett Johansson is reportedly scoring a $15 million pay check for an upcoming stand-alone film centered around her Marvel character “Black Widow,” The Hollywood Reporter said Thursday, citing multiple sources.
When Johansson first joined the franchise as “Black Widow” in the first “Avengers” movie in 2012, she earned a low seven-figure salary but, after six movie appearances she is finally on par with her male counterparts, Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth, who each earned an estimated $15 million for their roles in this year’s “Avengers: Infinity War,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The situation may in part highlight a greater issue of pay disparity in Hollywood, but The Hollywood Reporter noted that it largely came down to the fact that Marvel Cinematic Universe notoriously pays low for first outings.
Robert Downey Jr. Initially received $500,000 for his performance in the first “Iron Man” while Chadwick Boseman took home a seven-figure paycheck for the first “Black Panther.”
However, Collider noted that, while first-time films fetch lower salaries, until recently Johansson was still earning less than Evans and Hemsworth despite being in the franchise for longer and being an in-demand actress.
News of Johansson’s pay rise could signal a closing in the Hollywood pay gap, which has drawn increasing scorn over the years.
The situation received renewed attention in January, when word got out that Mark Wahlberg was paid nearly 10 times more than his “All the Money in the World” co-star, Michelle Williams.
The difference in their pay cropped up when USA Today reported that Wahlberg was paid $1.5 million for reshoots of the movie when Christopher Plummer replaced Kevin Spacey in one of the lead roles while Williams was paid a per diem of $80, which totaled less than $1,000.