Bernie Sanders says Disney should use 'Avengers: Endgame' profits to hike workers' pay

Marvel Universe; Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

A composite image of "Avengers: Endgame" character Thanos and Sen. Bernie Sanders.

• Bernie Sanders has suggested that Disney use record profits from "Avengers: Endgame" to pay its workers "a middle class wage," instead of benefiting executives.
• The presidential hopeful tweeted that it would be "truly heroic" if Disney hiked its rank-and-file workers' pay.
• Some analysts expect Disney to make a profit of more than $1 billion on the film.
• Sanders also singled out CEO Bob Iger's compensation. In 2018 Iger took home $65.6 million, more than 1,400 times as much as the average Disney worker.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Sen. Bernie Sanders has suggested that Disney use all its profits from "Avengers: Endgame" to pay rank-and-file workers, rather than to benefit the company's top-level executives.

Sanders, the Democratic Vermont senator and 2020 presidential candidate, tweeted on Monday: "What would be truly heroic is if Disney used its profits from Avengers to pay all of its workers a middle class wage, instead of paying its CEO Bob Iger $65.6 million - over 1,400 times as much as the average worker at Disney makes."

Associated Press/Paul Sancya

Sanders at a campaign rally in Warren, Michigan, on April 13, 2019.

His remarks came in response to a report that "Avengers: Endgame" earnings could hit a record high after generating more than $1.2 billion in global ticket sales in its opening weekend.

The superhero movie broke more than box office records in its opening weekend, and is on track to become one of the highest-grossing movies in history, Markets Insider reported. Bank of America earlier this week suggested Disney could make a profit of more than $1 billion on the film.

Sanders has long been an outspoken critic of income inequality, particularly in corporations. He has called on millionaires and billionaires to "pay their fair share" in taxes, and proposed plans that would tax billionaires' estates.

Read more: Bernie Sanders is running for president in 2020. Here's everything we know about the candidate and how he stacks up against the competition.

VCG/Getty Images

Disney CEO Bob Iger.

Abigail Disney, the granddaughter of the company's eponymous co-founder, earlier this month described Disney CEO Bob Iger's compensation as "insane."

Iger earned $65.6 million last year, which was 1,424 times of a median Disney employee's salary, according to a study by research group Equilar.

Disney decreased Iger's target compensation for 2019 by $13.5 million in March, meaning he could get as much as $35 million in 2019.

Read INSIDER's coverage of "Avengers: Endgame" here.