Scarlett Johansson nabs £11m payday for solo 'Black Widow' movie

Tom Butler
·Editor, Yahoo Entertainment UK
Played by Scarlett Johansson in “Iron Man 2,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and “The Avengers 1 & 2,” Black Widow has not yet been the focus of her own solo movie.
Played by Scarlett Johansson in “Iron Man 2,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and “The Avengers 1 & 2,” Black Widow has not yet been the focus of her own solo movie.

Marvel star Scarlett Johansson has finally achieved pay parity with her Avengers co-stars bagging herself a $15 million (£11.3 million) payday for the solo Black Widow movie.

The Hollywood Reporter says Johansson, who has played super spy Natasha Romanoff in six Marvel films to date, will now be paid the same amount as Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth earned for their roles in Avengers: Infinity War.

Evans and Hemsworh, who play Captain America and Thor respectively, reportedly earned $15 million each for Infinity War, and for Captain America: Civil War, Thor: Ragnarok, and the upcoming Avengers 4.

This image released by Marvel Studios shows, front row from left, Danai Gurira, Chadwick Boseman, Chris Evans, Scarlet Johansson and Sebastian Stan in a scene from “Avengers: Infinity War.” (Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios via AP)
This image released by Marvel Studios shows, front row from left, Danai Gurira, Chadwick Boseman, Chris Evans, Scarlet Johansson and Sebastian Stan in a scene from “Avengers: Infinity War.” (Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios via AP)

Their paydays dwarf in comparison to Robert Downey Jr. who reportedly earned $50m for the first Avengers film in 2012.

Earlier this year Scarlett Johansson was named the highest-paid female actor in Hollywood by Forbes, with the Lost In Translation star reportedly earning $40.5 million (£30.6 million) in 2017-2018.

The report also reveals Chadwick Boseman was paid $2 million (£1.5 million) for Black Panther, while Brie Larson is set to earn $5 million (£3.7 million) for 2019’s Captain Marvel.

A Marvel spokesperson, in response to the story, said in a statement: “Marvel Studios disputes the accuracy of these numbers, and as a matter of policy, we never publicly disclose salaries or deal terms.”

Australian filmmaker Cate Shortland is set to direct the Black Widow movie from a script by Jac Schaeffer. It’s rumoured to be a prequel, set before the events of the first Avengers film.

Schaeffer recently wrote the female-centric Dirty Rotten Scoundrels remake Nasty Women, and Shortland is best known for dramas Lore and Berlin Syndrome.

The character of Black Widow was first introduced in 2010’s Iron Man 2. She returned in 2012’s Avengers, and has since featured in 2014’s Captain America: Winter Soldier, 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, and 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War.

Avengers 4 is coming to cinemas in 2019.


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