The real money from starring in successful comic book blockbusters doesn’t come from salaries, although we’re hardly talking pennies in that department, but rather the percentage points and profit participation clauses that see the stars pick up plenty of additional income dependent on box office performance.
For example, Robert Downey Jr. was paid $20 million upfront for Avengers: Endgame, but he was also entitled to 8% of the back-end profits, which netted him a tidy $55 million extra when the conclusion to the Infinity Saga became the highest-grossing movie in the history of cinema, while co-stars Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth banked at least $25 million apiece on top of their standard fees as well.
The point is, it’s hard to gauge how much somebody starring in a comic book extravaganza will ultimately go home with until the financial dust has settled, but that hasn’t stopped insider Daniel Richtman from claiming that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will make Amber Heard one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood, although he obviously doesn’t go to the lengths of giving any details as to how exactly she’ll accomplish this feat.
Heard is said to have pocketed at least $5 million upfront for the first installment, which could have potentially doubled if not more after Aquaman hauled in over $1.1 billion globally. Hypothetically, though, to become one of the most financially well-rewarded talents in the industry, she would need to end up somewhere in the ballpark of $15-$20 million looking at the list of highest-paid actresses from the last couple of years, with the major difference being that the regular names to make those sort of salaries tend to play several significant leading roles, something the DCEU’s Mera hasn’t exactly been doing too often as of late.