Marvel Reportedly Pays Creators Just $5K To Turn Their Comics Into MCU Films
Photo 181452150 / Avengers © Eric Broder Van Dyke | Dreamstime.com
Not long after Scarlett Johansson sued Disney for streaming Black Widow simultaneously with its theatrical release and incidentally blocking most of her income, a new report alleging Marvel’s compensation structure for its multibillion-dollar-making film franchise has come to surface.
Per The Guardian, Marvel pays comic creators or writers a US$5,000 flat fee if their stories are featured in a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie. This amount was apparently validated by three separate sources.
The comparatively low payout has caught entertainment news outlets by surprise, considering that Marvel has grossed almost US$23 billion at the box office, with some films even amassing US$1 billion individually. And it isn’t slowing down anytime soon—this year will see the premieres of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, and Spider-Man: No Way Home; while five more are to be expected in 2022.
Not to mention, a story can’t exist without its writer.
The Guardian reports that comic creators are “work-for-hire,” so brands would only offer them flat fees and royalty payments, nothing more.
Apart from a US$5,000 flat fee, creators are invited to attend the premiere of the film featuring their work.
While Marvel has declined to make public statements about contracts, citing privacy issues, a spokesperson says there is no deadline for creators to rediscuss their contracts. The company is supposedly in ongoing talks with artists and writers about past and present projects.
[via Screen Rant and The Guardian, cover photo 181452150 / Avengers © Eric Broder Van Dyke | Dreamstime.com]
Also check out these recent news
