When it comes to box office success in the film industry, the Marvel Cinematic Universe stands heads and shoulders above the rest. In fact, most people know that Avengers: Endgame is one of the highest-grossing films of all time as it brought in $2.79 billion.

Amazingly enough, Endgame only galls second to none other than James Cameron's Avatar, which was actually recently re-released in China, allowing it to take over the top spot.

Given all of the success that the MCU has enjoyed, the Marvel Studios bosses have been forced to give out some truly impressive paycheques in order to retain the franchise’s core actors. In fact, some of the pay packages that actors have enjoyed are mind-boggling even when compared to the amount that most Hollywood stars make. So, who comes out on top as the highest-paid Avengers star? Let's find out!

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Updated on August 1st, 2021, by Michael Chaar:  The MCU has become home to some of the biggest films in history! Avengers: Endgame has not only taken the top spot for the highest-grossing movie, but it also paid its actors some of the biggest salaries. It's reported that Paul Rudd earned $8 million for Endgame alone, while Chris Evans took home over nearly $20 million. These figures don't include earnings made from any profit, however, the top spot goes to none other than Chris Hemsworth, who earned $76 million for his time working in the Avengers films. As for Scarlett Johansson, the actress was paid quite a bit, especially when it comes to her Black Widow film, however, ScarJo is currently suing Disney for allegedly breaching her contract.

Several Unknown MCU Salaries

Right off the hop, it has to be stated that next to nobody actually knows for sure how much money the MCU actors got paid for their Avengers: Endgame performances. After all, the rest of us can solely rely on reports of the actors’ salaries and some reputable outlets have the same actor making different amounts for their performances.

That makes perfect sense since some Endgame actors got a piece of the movie’s profits and there is no way to know how much that added up to for each of them.

When it comes to Endgame actors whose salaries are a total mystery, everyone that played characters that were brought back to life earned an unknown amount for their roles, however, considering it's Marvel, we're certain the figure was nothing short of incredible.

Amazingly enough, the salaries of some of the movie’s main stars have never been confirmed as well. For example, The Hollywood Reporter has estimated that Mark Ruffalo and Jeremy Renner were both paid $15 million for their work on the film but that doesn’t take any bonuses into account.

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Incredible 'Avengers' Paycheques

Given the fact that Forbes is widely considered to be an extremely credible company, it makes sense to take their coverage of Endgame salaries seriously. It came as a great sign when Forbes released details regarding the highest-paid Endgame actors, and their salaries will shock you!

Even though many fans didn’t like that Paul Rudd’s character, Ant-Man, was saved from oblivion by a rat in Avengers: Endgame, he has to be overjoyed to have been a part of the film. After all, playing a major role in the highest-grossing film of all time does huge things for an actor’s career. On top of that, Rudd was paid $8 million for his Endgame performance, says Cheat Sheet. 

Despite the fact that Chris Evans received more screen time than any other Endgame actor and he was a principal MCU actor, four other actors got paid more than him for the film.

While that seems strange at first blush, it is a lot easier to understand when you learn the identity of the other actors since they all are big stars. Of course, Chris Evans’ pay package was nothing to sneeze at as according to Forbes, he was paid $15 million. 

Of all the actors that appeared in Avengers: Endgame, only one woman was one of the highest-paid performers. Among the first actors to be cast as an MCU superhero, it could easily be argued that Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow provided the franchise with much of its heart.

Fortunately for her, Johansson was paid a lot more for Avengers: Endgame than she made from her first MCU movie, Iron Man 2, which has earned $56 million. When it comes to her own film, Black Widow, Johannson is currently suing Disney for infringing on her contract, as the film was released in both cinemas and on Disney+ when a sole cinema release was promised to Scarlett.

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The Cream Of The Crop

When it comes to the 6 actors that Forbes reported were paid the most for Avengers: Endgame, one of them was much more surprising than the rest.

After all, Bradley Cooper never even appears on screen in the film. However, Cooper is a pretty big star so, with that in mind, it is much easier to make sense of the fact that Forbes lists his Endgame salary at $57 million. Even still, it seems wrong that Cooper reportedly made more than Scarlett Johansson.

Most of the times that Robert Downey Jr. appeared in an MCU movie, he was that film’s highest-paid actor by far. When it comes to Avengers: Endgame, however, another actor made more than Downey Jr. as he was paid a mere $66 million according to Forbes.

While that figure is far from confirmed, as other reports claim Downey Jr. made $75 million for Infinity War and Endgame, if that latter number is right he still wouldn’t take the top spot.

Unfortunately for Chris Hemsworth, many MCU fans consider the first 2 Thor films to be among the franchise’s lowlights. That said, Hemsworth's last three MCU performances, in Endgame, Infinity War, and Thor: Ragnarok, have been celebrated in virtually all corners. Perhaps that is why Forbes reported his Avengers: Endgame salary was $76.4 million, which makes him that film’s highest-paid actor.

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