MCU’s Highest-Paid Star After Black Widow: Scarlett Johansson
Black Widow is MCU’s next big entry. For the first time since Age of Ultron, Marvel is putting out a solo movie in their May release schedule. It would’ve been Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 if Gunn wasn’t fired, but that’s not the point. What we have to not here is that Black Widow will get the chance to bring in huge profits considering it will be the first MCU movie after a long while. We’ve got nothing to look forward to either in November or February. So, if Black Widow turns out to be huge then Scarlett Johansson will automatically end up being much richer!
ScarJo was recently named the highest paid actress for the second time in 2 consecutive years. All that was because of Infinity War and Endgame. In the last year, she pulled in $56 Million. This wasn’t equal to what Chris Hemsworth ($76.4 Million) or Robert Downey Jr. ($66 Million) brought in, but it was way more than what Chris Evans or Paul Rudd made from Endgame. This was due to ScarJo having a backend deal similar to her co-stars.
But Black Widow will make her even richer. We Got This Covered reports that Scarlett Johansson will probably become MCU’s highest paid actor after Black Widow. Well, that will be true in a way, because Robert Downey Jr. would be out of the picture by then. But in reality, she’d fall behind Downey big time.
Back in 2013, Robert Downey Jr. made $75 Million from Iron Man 3. Then he was paid $80 Million for both Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War. He was involved with the shoot of Spider-Man: Homecoming for 3 days, and that cost Marvel $5 Million more. Then, in Infinity War and Endgame, Downey probably earned a total which was somewhere around $140 Million after combining his salary and take in the profits.
Scarlett Johansson won’t be pulling in these numbers after Black Widow, but she will probably end up being the second highest earner of the MCU. After Age of Ultron, it was reported that ScarJo was paid $20 Million as a salary for starring in the second crossover event of the MCU. And now after Infinity War and Endgame made her insanely rich, she would be starring in Black Widow which has paid her $15 Million upfront. Moreover, she had got another back-end deal for when her movie releases next year.
So, in 2020 ScarJo will be the reigning most paid actor of the MCU, since both Downey & Evans are out of the picture. Chris Hemsworth may surpass her if he survives Thor: Love and Thunder and continues any further. Forbes released a top 10 highest paid actresses list of June 2018 – June 2019. Here’s what the standings of that list were:
- Scarlett Johansson – Earnings: $56 million
- Sofia Vergara – Earnings: $44.1 million
- Reese Witherspoon – Earnings: $35 million
- Nicole Kidman – Earnings: $34 million
- Jennifer Aniston – Earnings: $28 million
- Kaley Cuoco – Earnings: $25 million
- Elisabeth Moss – Earnings: $24 million
- Margot Robbie – Earnings: $23.5 million
- Charlize Theron – Earnings: $23 million
- Ellen Pompeo – Earnings: $22 million
The earnings from Black Widow could put her on top for the third consecutive year. If you’re wondering about the 2017-18 numbers, then SJ topped the list in that year with $40.5 Million. She was recently asked about her MCU earnings. Not only did she confirm that Black Widow will place her among the MCU’s biggest earners, but she also gave us an idea of how big her salary is as compared to the male co-stars:
“Money is a taboo topic of conversation. But I will say that, yes, I’m on an equal playing field with my male cohorts.”
Well it ain’t just equal, it’s much more than all others except Downey. No wonder all of the OG 6 Avengers are being pushed out after just one more appearance. All of them are raising their price demands! Black Widow comes out on May 1, 2020.
