There are many perks to being a superhero … besides being a superhero, of course.
Stars who are part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe can expect a big payday alongside their cool costume and name. While Chris Evans originally had to be convinced to take on the role of Captain America, he made the right decision money wise — his pay grew more than 50 times in the years between his first and most recent MCU movie.
“I was scared,” he said during an April 2016 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, noting that he thought about turning down the role after seeing he’d be subject to a multiple-film contract. “There are parts of me that have a little bit of social anxiety with this industry. In doing movies one at a time … you’re afforded the opportunity to take a step back and recalibrate. When you have a giant contract, if all of a sudden you’re not responding well? Too bad, you’ve got to suit up again. That was scary.”
Still, the Knives Out actor stuck with it — deciding there was no point in stopping because he was nervous.
“You can’t do anything out of fear,” he said. “You can’t be doing something because you’re scared. It ended up kind of clicking to me in the way that whatever you’re scared of, push yourself into it.”
The contract seemed to offer just enough Marvel time for the Massachusetts native. After reports began to circulate in January 2021 that he would reprise his character following 2019’s The Avengers: Endgame, Evans took to Twitter to share that the buzz was “news to [him].” He also added a shrugging emoji.
Through the years, a bit of employer/employee salary drama has surrounded the MCU as well. In July 2021, Scarlett Johansson made headlines for suing Disney over a “breach of contract” regarding her film Black Widow.
According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, the Marriage Story actress claimed that the theatrical debut was undercut when Disney also offered fans the chance to stream the film online “in order to prevent Ms. Johansson from realizing the full benefit of her bargain with Marvel.”
Later, Disney released a statement saying that Johansson’s filing had no merit.
“This lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the comment read. “Disney has fully complied with Ms. Johansson’s contract and furthermore, the release of Black Widow on Disney+ with Premier Access has significantly enhanced her ability to earn additional compensation on top of the $20M she has received to date.”
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