As the superhero movie genre keeps increasing in popularity, the amount of money flowing through these movies only grows with each passing year. While Marvel and DC work their way back to pre-pandemic box office totals, Disney and Warner Bros. continue upping the game with actor salaries as well with each new movie that comes out.
On the Marvel side of things, Doctor Strange 2 leading actor Benedict Cumberbatch got a $1.5 million raise from his first movie as he took in a $7.5 million salary in total, although that should only increase after two solo outings. As for more established veterans, Chris Hemsworth earned a whopping $20 million for his role in Thor: Love and Thunder, which dwarfed Robert Pattinson's $3 million payday for his appearance in DC's The Batman.
That isn't to say that DC doesn't have its substantial paydays, especially after Aquaman and The Batman hit such lofty box office goals over the past few years. Now, as the DCEU moves forward into its next phase, reports have revealed the franchise's highest-paid actors that will return to the spotlight before too long.
DC's Highest-Paid Actor Trio Revealed
Variety revealed three of the highest-paid actors from Warner Bros.' upcoming slate of movies set in the DC Universe.
At the top of the list is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who will make a whopping $22.5 million for his leading role in DC's Black Adam. Joaquin Phoenix comes up just behind that total at $20 million for his Joker sequel, Joker: Folie a Deux, and Jason Momoa rounds out the top three with a $15 million salary for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
- Dwayne Johnson - Black Adam: $22.5M
- Joaquin Phoenix - Joker 2: $20M
- Jason Momoa - Aquaman 2: $15M
Johnson's total only trails Tom Cruise, who earned an astounding $100 million for his work on this year's Top Gun: Maverick. Chris Hemsworth (Extraction 2), Vin Diesel (Fast X), and Ryan Reynolds (Spirited), all tied for the third position with Phoenix.
Below are other notable salaries revealed from the past year:
- Tom Cruise - Top Gun: Maverick: $100M
- Chris Hemsworth - Extraction 2: $20
- Vin Diesel - Fast X: $20M
- Ryan Reynolds - Spirited: $20M
- Chris Pine - Star Trek sequel: $13M
- Margot Robbie - Barbie: $12.5M
- Ryan Gosling - Barbie: $12.5M
- Matt Damon - Oppenheimer: $4M
- Robert Downey Jr. - Oppenheimer: $4M
- Emily Blunt - Oppenheimer: $4M
- Anya Taylor Joy - Furiosa: $1.8M
DC Stars Hitting the Jackpot in Salaries
As Warner Bros. works diligently to rebuild excitement for its DC movies in the public eye, it's clear that the team isn't short-changing their efforts in the actor salary department.
It's almost no surprise that Dwayne Johnson ranks so high on both lists, having been one of the highest-paid actors in all of Hollywood over the past decade. Combining his own immense star power with the anticipation of finally seeing Black Adam brought to life on the big screen, that $22.5 million total should only increase as the movie's profits come in.
The same can be said about both Phoenix and Momoa's salaries after bringing Warner Bros. two movies that each grossed over $1 billion globally in 2018 and 2019, not to mention the Oscars acclaim that the first Joker movie earned. Aquaman 2 looks to expand on Arthur Curry's world as King of Atlantis, and Joker 2 will allow Phoenix to dive even further into the Clown Prince of Crime's twisted psyche, leading to both actors getting significant pay bumps.
No matter what kind of reception these movies garner, these three actors' salaries show just how dedicated Warner Bros. is to making their DC franchise the best it can be.
Black Adam will premiere in theaters on October 21, while Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom arrives on March 17, 2023. There is no confirmed release date for Joker: Folie a Deux.
