Gal Gadot’s $300,000 Wonder Woman paycheck makes no sense
Gal Gadot reportedly took home $300,000 for Wonder Woman. While experts are quick to talk sequel deals, that number still doesn’t make sense.
Studio executives at Warner Bros are probably cringing right now with the release of details of Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman paycheck. According to reports, Gadot took home $300,000 for the film, which isn’t a bad number for an up and coming star, but when you consider that Wonder Woman is quickly passing $500 million at the box office, it really makes no sense. Consider, too, that Henry Cavill was paid $14 million to play Superman in Man of Steel. Reports are quick to point out that the sequels were worked into Gadot’s contract, and that contract renegotiation is likely, but still…$300,000!?
To put that number in perspective, Cosmo points out that there are several non-acting professions that make that much money. And it’s not uncommon for actors to take smaller fees for movies in return for bonuses after the movie has been released. Cavill’s Man of Steel salary includes bonuses, and Chris Evans had a similar deal for Captain America: The First Avenger. Interestingly, though, is the fact Man of Steel earned $290 million in the US while Wonder Woman is at $274 million and counting going into the fourth week, and it shows no signs of stopping.
The reason that Gadot’s paycheck feels like such a sucker punch is that the number is pennies next to the film’s earnings, both at the box office and in merchandising. The optics don’t look good for the studio because it looks like they underpaid Gadot, who wasn’t a “huge” star prior to her role as Wonder Woman. This knee-jerk reaction is all about how things look, but if you dig deeper, things should work out pretty well for Gadot.
We can safely assume that there will be contract negotiations for future Wonder Woman films after Justice League premieres in November. Gadot’s contract covered three films: Batman v Superman, Wonder Woman, and Justice League, and she was paid $300,000 per film. Yes, that number looks bad (again) when you consider she had a small role in BvS, she led Wonder Woman, and she’s part of an ensemble cast in Justice League. From that perspective, she did well in BvS, but appears that she’s underpaid for the other two films.
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Now that Gadot is a bona fide star, her asking rate is now much higher than it ever was before. Her next contract won’t be for $300,000. Unfortunately, though, seeing that number makes people pause and reflect on the wage disparities between men and women, and it looks like even Wonder Woman can’t escape it.