Yahoo Movies Wonder Woman 'pay gap' was a misunderstanding
Update: It appears that reports of a huge gender pay gap between Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot and her male DC counterparts are incorrect.
After it was claimed that Gadot had received just $300,000 for her lead role as Diana Prince in Wonder Woman, whereas Henry Cavill had been paid $14 million for Man of Steel, it has now been reported that these figures were based on misunderstandings.
According to a Vanity Fair source, the $300k figure represents a 'base salary' that is not hugely different to that of most male Marvel and DC stars starting out.
The source said: "Entry-level actors in franchise films are paid an initial rate. As a franchise takes off, they stand to make more money."
As for the $14m salary cited for Cavill in Man of Steel, firstly that figure was reported as including bonuses for box-office performance. Secondly, Vanity Fair's source denies that the figure can be correct at all.
"It certainly isn't for one picture. That's insane," they said.
A different source, supposedly in the know about both DC actors' contract negotiations, told the publication: "If you do an apples to apples comparison, she was paid at least as much as he was."
Taking a wider look at superhero pay, apparently every entry-level franchise actor gets a base salary when starting out. This trend is said to have begun with Marvel – Chris Hemsworth and even Robert Downey Jr, for example, are said to have been paid "less than $500,000" for their base salaries before earning significantly more later on.
And according to Vulture, Chris Evans made around $300,000 for the first Captain America movie.
It is thought Gadot's base salary applies to her first three DCEU movies (Batman v Superman, Wonder Woman, Justice League, so totalling $900k), and that she, like Cavill, will receive bonuses. She will also be able to command a significantly higher fee for Wonder Woman 2.
As an aside, Vulture also claims that Amy Adams was in fact paid more than Cavill in Man of Steel.
So there you go. Undoubtedly there is a gender pay gap problem in Hollywood – but Gal Gadot's earnings for Wonder Woman may be an exception rather than the rule.
Original Story: The gender pay gap in Hollywood refuses to die, with actresses including Jennifer Lawrence, Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson all speaking out about earning less than their male co-stars.
Now, a report on The Daily Dot claims that Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot is being paid a fraction of what her male DCEU co-stars are earning.
Gadot is believed to have earned $300,000 for her starring role in Patty Jenkins's recent movie. For comparison, Henry Cavill – whose highest-profile role pre-Superman was in The Tudors – is said (by Forbes) to have earned $14 million for Man of Steel.
The figure seems to come from a 2014 report about Gadot's three-picture deal with Warner Bros, where the then-unknown actress was said to be receiving $300,000 for each movie.
Those movies would be Batman v Superman, Wonder Woman and Justice League, so with more recent reports claiming she is contracted for Wonder Woman 2, we hope she has negotiated a much more favourable deal in the last three years.
It's true that Chris Evans earned the same wage as Gadot for Captain America: The First Avenger, but we have to ask ourselves – is Gadot's charming Wonder Woman worth 2% of Cavill's dour Superman?
Wonder Woman is currently in cinemas, and recently passed the $500 million milestone.
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