DC Officially Pays Better than Marvel, Joaquin Phoenix Tops 'Thor' Chris Hemsworth - Inside the Magic

The world of superhero media is at an all-time high, with Marvel Studios and WarnerMedia/DC completing to produce the most successful franchises to date. Now, a new report confirms how well DC stars are being compensated for their work.

Chris Hemsworth has played the titular role of Thor Odinson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for 12 years, recently earning an estimated $15 to $20 million for his appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). Joaquin Phoenix has appeared in one DC film, Joker (2019), and is earning a reported $2o million for his second outing as the mad villain.

While Marvel Studios has not confirmed Hemsworth’s compensation for the recent Thor: Love and Thunder, a fascinating report from Variety reveals that Phoenix has earned the same amount for Joker 2 in three years as Hemsworth’s made in 12:

Joaquin Phoenix will be paid $20M for ‘JOKER 2’.

Joaquin Phoenix will be paid $20M for ‘JOKER 2’.

(Source: https://t.co/Gu0SVBJIME) pic.twitter.com/ZJD3Glu75W

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 20, 2022

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Variety writes:

The same holds true for Joaquin Phoenix. When he first portrayed Gotham’s most infamous villain in 2019’s “Joker,” Phoenix earned $4.5 million. The film went on to earn more than $1 billion and landed the actor an Oscar. If Warner Bros. is going to get Phoenix back in clown makeup, it will cost the studio $20 million.

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With Joaquin Phoenix signing on to put back on a smiling face for WarnerMedia, it’s evident that his compensation for Todd Phillip’s Joker 2 would be significantly higher than his first outing, considering Joker is the only $1 billion R-rated movie in cinema history! Looking forward, Phoenix could earn beyond $20 million for a Joker 3 if the second installment to this growing franchise is another global hit.

With Phoenix capturing the same amount of pay that took Chris Hemsworth over a decade to earn up to (regarding pay increases), it’s fascinating to see how various Hollywood Studios financially function, especially with backend participation deals (leading to Tom Cruise scoring over $100 million for Top Gun: Maverick).

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Nonetheless, Netflix is picking up Chris Hemsworth’s tab for Extraction 2 (2022), reportedly paying out $20 million for the Marvel man to reprise his role as Tyler Rake, indicating that Hemsworth is one of the most saught after names in Hollywood!

The Marvel Universe is becoming much more than iconic characters/Earth’s Mightiest Heroes like Star-Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), and Thanos (Josh Brolin).

Tom Holland’s Avenger is leading the way for Marvel Cinematic Universe newcomers Kate Bishop,  Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), Moon Knight (Oscar Isaac), Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany), Eternals’ Thena (Angelina Jolie), and more — especially with his next Spider-Man trilogy that’s currently in the works.

Do you think Marvel stars should earn more? Comment below!