Credit: Marvel and Disney+While there is a fierce debate about the importance of residuals, something that cannot be denied is that people should be paid for their work. Unfortunately, Disney and Marvel Studios cannot meet that basic employment standard.
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The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a machine, constantly churning out content featuring some of the most popular superheroes in the world, including Captain America, Black Panther, Iron Man, Kamala Khan, and Nick Fury. To make these series and movies a reality, many different players are needed to fill their roles, including actors, writers, and various other crew members.
While the public has taken both sides when it comes to the Hollywood strike, there is one fact that everyone can agree to: people deserve to get paid for their job. Whether you’re a businessman, a grocer, or an actor, you should be paid for the work you do. Unfortunately, Disney, Marvel, and all of the other studios have been horribly negligent in making simple payments. Just ask writer A. C. Bradley.
‘Ms. Marvel’ Writer Was Supposed to be Paid One Year Ago
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In a post on Twitter, Emmy Award-winning writer A. C. Bradley, who is known for her work on What If…? (2021-present) and Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia (2016-2018), revealed that she had worked on Marvel’s Disney Plus show Ms. Marvel, but was never paid for all of her services.
“Hey, [WGA West], let’s make sure [Disney] & [Marvel Studios] pays the writers network residuals! Despite significantly rewriting all episodes, & the WGA mandating I receive writing credit on three eps… I was only paid a weekly rate & never paid script fees.”
Hey @WGAWest let's make sure @DisneyStudios & @MarvelStudios pays the writers network residuals!
Despite significantly rewriting all episodes, & the WGA mandating I receive writing credit on 3 eps… I was only paid a weekly rate & never paid script fees. https://t.co/tSG0L4lEqk— A.C. Bradley (@TheAshBradley) July 15, 2023
According to A. C. Bradley, the original writing staff was no longer working for the studio when they were brought on to rewrite whole sections of the script during production. Because of this, they are considered one of the main writers for that episode and are owed a fee for having developed that script.
This is like if someone offered to pay you half now for a project and half when you’re finished. While the initial money is nice, you still need that second payment. Otherwise, you were never fully paid for the job you executed. If someone refused to make that final payment, they would be lambasted and looked down upon, and rightfully so.
This reflects the list of proposals SAG-AFTRA shared, where the AMPTP rejected most of their requests. One of the rejected proposals was for actors to be paid on time. While the studios admitted that they consistently pay late, they stated that they still will not pay on time, even with increased penalties. These studios, especially Disney and Marvel, need to do better.
Do you think companies should pay their employees on time? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!