Gal Gadot’s US$300K ‘Wonder Woman’ payday vs Henry Cavill’s US$14M

Gal Gadot only got US$300,000 (AU$395,000) in “Wonder Woman.” Her salary is on par with Chris Evans’ in his first “Captain America” film, but it’s a miniscule amount compared to fellow DC superhero Henry Cavill’s US$14 million (AU$17.12 million) in “Man of Steel” and Marvel star Robert Downey Jr’s US$50 million (AU$66 million) in “The Avengers.”

In 2014, the Israeli entertainment show “Good Evening with Gai Pines” (via Variety) reported that Gadot would be earning US$300,000 per DC extended universe (DCEU) film. She had been signed on for three: the “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016), the current top-earning box office “Wonder Woman,” and the upcoming “Justice League” (November 2017).

Gadot earning that amount for “Batman v Superman” makes sense because she wasn’t a titular character. However, for “Wonder Woman,” not only is her character’s name the title of the film, she also unquestionably led it at the top of box office worldwide. The film, which is also a critical success, has earned over US$570 million (AU$750 million) so far, which could likely mean Gadot is eligible for bonuses.

Her salary is on par with Evans’ for the first “Captain America” film in 2011. Both Gadot and Evans still weren’t household names at the time they accepted their corresponding roles, so perhaps that was why their salaries were a bit on the low side.

However, Gadot’s fellow DCEU star, Cavill, apparently took home US$14 million in his first DC superhero flick. As the Daily Dot notes, the large salary gap between Gadot and Cavill may be due to Hollywood’s gender pay gap. Women are perceived to earn less than their male counterparts, perhaps partly because film execs feel male-led films would do better at the box office.

“Wonder Woman” is still showing in cinemas, so the final number isn’t available yet. “Man of Steel,” on the other hand, grossed US$668 million (AU$878.4 million). It’s not untenable that Diana Prince can reach or even surpass Clark Kent’s earnings in the near future. The stark difference between the two films is the critics’ reception, though. The Superman flick was called mostly underwhelming, while the Amazonian goddess was praised for being the best film in the DCEU.

Over at Marvel Cinematic Universe, Evans eventually increased his salary to millions. According to a chart posted on Cinema Blend, he took home US$2-4 million (AU$2.6-5.3 million) for the second “Avengers” film after bonuses. The same goes for his co-stars, who earned at least US$2 million as well. Downey Jr remained the highest earner with US$50 million.

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