Reports that Gal Gadot only made $300,000 for the multi-million dollar smash ‘Wonder Woman’ are untrue. This would be 46 times less than what Henry Cavill made for his first DCEU movie ‘Man of Steel’.
An anonymous source stated:
“All first-time actors and actresses are paid an appropriate fee at the beginning, which is then sweetened with backend participation and renegotiation as the franchise progresses.”
It was reported that Cavill, whose claim to fame before becoming Superman was starring on the modestly rated Showtime series ‘The Tudors’ got paid around $14 million for ‘Man of Steel’. Meanwhile, Gadot had appeared in the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise, one of the most popular film brands of the last ten years or so.
True she did sign a three-picture deal with Warner Bros. and the initial agreed upon paycheck was $300,000. After all, she only played a marginal role in ‘Batman V Superman’. But it is now reported that her paycheck increased to $600,000 for ‘Wonder Woman’ plus backend bonuses. These bonuses are unclear, but it is now believed that she has pocketed an amount closer to Cavill’s $14M for ‘Wonder Woman’.
She is now filming ‘Justice League’, the third and final film she was initially contracted for. After this? Renegotiations. So Gadot will be making a mint, because clearly WB will want to make a second ‘Wonder Woman’ considering the runaway success of the first.
Talks about the fabled “Glass Ceiling” are certainly warranted, as women for the most part, are actually paid less than male peers. But in this case, the discussion is misdirected. Just for the record, Cavill actually made less for starring in ‘Man of Steel’ than Amy Adams, who portrayed Lois Lane! Adams was already an established film star, whereas Cavill was an untested property, coming from TV. This is similar to the first ‘Iron Man’ for which Terrance Howard made more than Robert Downey Jr. (Which led to his dismissal from the sequels…)
So don’t lose any sleep over Gal Gadot’s salary. She won’t be shopping for red boots at Payless Shoes anytime soon.
Sources: Deadline, Entertainment Weekly
