Bradley Cooper may not be in the high echelons of the very richest actors in the world, but he still boasts an incredible amount of wealth. By latest estimates, he is said to be worth around $100 million.
A part of this wealth would have come from his work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where he lends his voice to the character Rocket, a genetically enhanced raccoon in the Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers movies.
Two Actors Create 'Rocket'
The first thing to note is that it takes two actors to actually create the character of Rocket. Cooper voices the character, but is usually not present during principal photography. Sean Gunn - director James' brother - is the motion reference actor whose movements are shot and used to bring Rocket to life.
Bradley Cooper was first cast in the role back in 2013 for the first installment of Guardians of the Galaxy, which was then released in July 2014.
Director James Gunn intimated that there were elements within Marvel who were not entirely convinced with Cooper's performance as Rocket. In a Twitter exchange with fans in December 2020, Gunn wrote, "One exec - who is no longer with Marvel Studios/Disney - saw an early cut & said “Why did we pay money for Bradley Cooper if he doesn’t even sound like Bradley Cooper!?”"
Gunn went on to explain why they hired the actor, and why he personally felt that he was perfect for the role. "I was like, we hired him because he’s a great ACTOR," he wrote. "That’s the point! He’s creating a CHARACTER!"
So just how much do Marvel Studios and Disney part with to pay Cooper?
Earned $57 Million In 2019
In 2019, for example, Cooper was estimated by Forbes to have raked in a total of $57 million. This was for all the projects he undertook that year and in the lead up to it. Among these projects was his performance of Rocket, in Avengers: Endgame.
2019 was also the year when the actor wrote, produced and starred in A Star Is Born, a passion project that he executed alongside accomplished songbird, Lady Gaga. It was reported that Cooper took a punt and decided to forego a salary in the project, instead choosing to take a cut of whatever profits the film would make.
A Star Is Born became a sensational success globally, as it grossed $436.2 million, compared to the $36 million budget it took to produce. Out of the more than $400 million the film made in profits, Cooper is believed to have bagged around $40 million.
The Forbes report projected that out of the $57 million total the actor made that year, only about $6 million would have come from his work as Rocket on Avengers: Endgame. The remaining $11 million would therefore be attributable to other work that Cooper did around that time.
Since 2019 is the last time that Rocket appeared on the big screen, it would also be fair to assume that the reported $6 million that Cooper made from the gig is the highest he has been paid for the role so far.