The list of the highest-paid names in Hollywood is typically dominated by two different types of actors. The first are those that have expansive business portfolios away from the silver screen to top up their earnings like George Clooney, Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne Johnson, while the other is comprised of those who star in major comic book franchises.
Over the last several years, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson have been named among the biggest earners in Hollywood, and now it looks like Gal Gadot will soon find herself in that group, as she’s received a major bump in salary for Wonder Woman 1984. Which is sure to please those who thought she didn’t get a fair paycheque for the first film.
If you’ll recall, there was faux outrage from certain sections of the internet after the original movie was released, when rumors were making the rounds that the actress had only been paid $300,000 for starring in Diana Prince’s origin story compared to the $14 million Henry Cavill got for Man of Steel. However, that $300,000 only represented a base salary, and the majority of blockbusters tend to offer contracts that include various bonuses and percentage points that tally up after the box office numbers come in, which is why Robert Downey Jr. ended up walking away from Avengers: Endgame a reported $75 million richer.
According to the latest reports, Gadot is said to be earning an upfront salary of $10 million for Wonder Woman 1984, although the bonuses might be a lot smaller the second time around given the current state of the theatrical industry, and there’s every chance that Patty Jenkins’ sequel won’t arrive on Christmas day as originally scheduled. If it wasn’t for the current pandemic, then the movie stood a very good chance of cracking the billion dollar threshold given the popularity of the first installment and the DCEU’s recent resurgence. But now, with the way things are, it remains unclear how well it’ll ultimately perform at the box office.