After starring in seven Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, Scarlett Johansson was expected to have a major payday with "Black Widow."
The actress has so far earned $20 million for her long-awaited standalone movie, Disney recently told the Wall Street Journal — a far cry from the reported $400,000 she earned for her first MCU appearance, in 201 0's "Iron Man 2."
But she says she was set to pocket tens of millions more in bonuses based on the movie's box-office performance. It's a tactic Disney has used with all its Marvel stars for over a decade: Get them cheap and then build up their paydays if the movies make money.
"Black Widow" was expected to perform like the other MCU films and be a cash cow for its lead. But due to the pandemic, the movie was released simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+, causing this Marvel movie to not match the success of its predecessors.
Now, Johansson is suing Disney over her long-awaited standalone film's release plan, claiming in the lawsuit that her contract guaranteed an exclusive theatrical release for "Black Widow" and that she's out at least $50 million because the film simultaneously went to streaming.
(Disney, in its counterstatement to WSJ regarding the suit, maintained that the studio has "fully complied" with Johansson's contract and also publicly disclosed her $20 million "Black Widow" earnings to date, noting that she "has the ability to earn more" on the film.)
So, just how much have MCU stars earned in the past thanks to playing Disney's game and patiently waiting for big paydays? Here's a look at how six other actors have been paid during their time in the MCU.
Note: Disney's Marvel Entertainment has historically refused to confirm or deny salary reports. Most below figures are based on information provided by sources and have not been independently verified by Insider.