Fans fume over Gadot’s ‘Wonder Woman’ salary

With “Wonder Woman” sprinting toward global profits of $600 million, some fans of the female-led superhero movie are up in arms over what they say is a meager paycheck for Israeli star Gal Gadot.

Gadot in 2014 reportedly signed a deal with Warner Bros. Studios to make $300,000 for the film, which is proving to be an unexpectedly massive box office smash. (Some reports suggest she was paid $300,000 for each of three movies in her current contract: “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” “Wonder Woman” and the upcoming “Justice League.”)

While some have noted Gadot’s “entry-level” paycheck was in line with that of a relative newcomer in Hollywood, others are protesting that the Israeli actress is the latest victim of sexism in the film industry.

Fans compared Gadot’s paycheck with that of actor Henry Cavill, who earned $14 million for his debut in “Superman: Man of Steel”; others noted that Ben Affleck will earn $26.3 million for his movie, “The Batman.”

Taking to social media, hundreds of fans claimed that Gadot’s salary is “disgracefully” low, even when taking her relative inexperience into consideration.

https://twitter.com/laurenduca/status/877167791174021121

just seeing stuff about Gal Gadot’s salary bubbling up on Twitter! I’m sure she is locked into a similar, ballooning deal for many sequels

— David Sims (@davidlsims) June 19, 2017

https://twitter.com/rmdbutler/status/877118615597846528

But on Wednesday, Vanity Fair said protesting the differences between Gadot and Cavill’s salaries stemmed from a misunderstanding about the industry, and not evidence of the gender wage gap in Hollywood.

According to the pop culture magazine, Gadot’s $300,000 is a base salary that doesn’t include bonuses for box office performance, while Cavill’s $14 million payout did.

https://twitter.com/elleosophy/status/876942890068393984

“Entry level actors in franchise films are paid an initial rate. As a franchise takes off, they stand to make more money,” a source familiar with Cavill and Gadot’s contract negotiations was said to have told Vanity Fair.

“So if she signed a deal similar to Cavill’s, the Wonder Woman bonus checks will soon be rolling in — and the sequels could be even more lucrative,” the source said. “If you do an apples to apples comparison, she was paid at least as much as he was.”

Gadot has not commented on the rumpus.

According to The Hollywood reporter, “Wonder Woman” — which has already grossed $571.8 million worldwide — is on course to overtake 2008’s “Mamma Mia,” which grossed $609.8 million, and become the most successful female-directed live-action film of all time.

Neither Gadot, nor Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, are reportedly under contract for a sequel — though The Hollywood Reporter has claimed that Gadot has an option.

Critics say the film might not have achieved such instantaneous blockbuster status without Gadot’s on-camera charisma, and she’s as celebrated abroad as she is at home — where she is touted as one of Israel’s best exports.

Critics and audiences (except, perhaps, in Lebanon and Jordan) have enthused about the 32-year-old Israeli mother of two, who has been celebrated as a symbol of female strength.

There has been a barrage of analysis on the role of feminism in the film — most of it positive.