David Corenswet’s earnings as Superman fall short by today’s industry standards, when compared to what other Marvel and DC actors made in their first superhero roles. According to Puck News, it’s Nicholas Hoult, who plays Lex Luthor in director James Gunn’s Superman film, who is leading the pack with the highest salary of anyone in the cast. Made on a reported budget $225 million budget, Gunn’s DC reboot has already raked in $22.5 million from box office previews.
Superman cast salary
Hoult, who’s already worked in the X-Men franchise, reportedly bagged $1.25 million more than Corenswet. As the main villain in Superman, he was paid $2 million, while David Corenswet (Superman) and Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane) each earned $750,000. But this isn’t the first time a villain has out-earned a superhero. Christopher Reeve was paid $250,000 for the 1978 Superman movie. His Lex Luthor, Gene Hackman, took home $2 million. And Hoult’s resume and longer career in Hollywood (two Golden Globe nominations, an Emmy nod) counts. Corenswet, on the other hand, is still new.
Brosnahan, meanwhile, comes with an Emmy, two Globes for The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, and a solid background of indie and studio work. She also voiced one of the leads in Spies in Disguise alongside Will Smith and Tom Holland. Corenswet’s biggest credits include The Politician and Hollywood, plus recent roles in Twisters and The Greatest Hits.
David Corenswet’s salary vs other first-time MCU/DC leads
If you stack Corenswet’s paycheck next to others, Robert Downey Jr. was paid $500K for Iron Man in 2008, almost two decades ago. His fees skyrocketed as Marvel blew up. In 2011, Chris Evans got $300K for Captain America. Chris Hemsworth was paid just $150K for Thor the same year. Scarlett Johansson earned low seven-figures for Black Widow. On the DC side, Henry Cavill was paid $300K for Man of Steel (2013), same with Gal Gadot for Wonder Woman. Ben Affleck, though, thanks to his A-list status, reportedly made between $10–20 million for his Batman debut.
Also read: Superman ending explained: What it means for new DCU movies and Peacemaker season 2
So, Corenswet isn’t exactly underpaid by superhero debut standards. In fact, his $750K is higher than what Cavill, Evans, or Hemsworth took home for their first caped gigs. But if you look at more recent first-time leads like Brie Larson (Captain Marvel) or Ezra Miller (The Flash), who were paid $5 million and $3 million, respectively, then $750K starts to look pretty modest according to the current standard, especially for the guy carrying the weight of DC’s reboot.
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Earlier, while speaking to CNN, Gunn said he’s proud of finding breakout stars. “I think I’m really good at finding people who become huge stars,” Gunn said. “I think David Corenswet is the biggest movie star in the world—and people don’t know it yet. That’s exactly what I said about Chris Pratt early on, too. There are very, very few people who’ve got the acting chops, the comedy timing, and happen to be ridiculously handsome all at once.”
