Quick Links
Natalie Portman has been an A-list actress for over 2 decades now. Starting off with performances in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and V For Vendetta, her resume has grown to include feature roles in more blockbuster hits such as Annihilation and No Strings Attached. However, perhaps her biggest role outside of being Star War's Padme Amidala has been as Thor's love interest, Jane Foster, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films.
MCU films have certainly been a magnet for A-list celebrities. It takes a certain kind of film series to have big names like Natalie Portman and Samuel L. Jackson play reoccurring minor characters, and only a brand as big as Marvel could pull it off. It also takes a major company like Disney to be able to fund it as well.
These celebrities aren't cheap to pay, which begs the question - how much does someone like Natalie Portman make for playing a minor character? Especially compared to someone like Chris Hemsworth, who Natalie starred alongside in every Thor movie she featured in. Here's how their paychecks compare.
Here's How Much Natalie Portman Made From Portraying Jane Foster In The Thor Movies
It all started with 2011's Thor.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe wasn't quite in full swing yet, but the core building blocks were being put in place. The first two Iron Man films were the true foundation of the MCU, but in 2011, both Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger was released. The reviews for those films were generally positive, but they weren't quite as good as some of the later Thor and Captain America movies.
Natalie's paycheck for 2011's Thor was estimated to be $100,000, according to Cheat Sheet. Considering that the budget for the film was $150 million, that is definitely a measly number.
Natalie returned for Thor's sequel, Thor: The Dark World. Since the first Thor movie made over $400 million in the worldwide box office, it should be assumed that everyone returning would get a massive pay increase. However, while it's unknown exactly how much Natalie made from Thor 2, it's estimated by Vulture to be less than $1 million.
Natalie took a long break from Marvel after Thor: The Dark World. Many people thought this was due to the poor pay, but according to Vulture, Natalie had problems with Marvel cutting ties with director Patty Jenkins.
However, after a nearly 10-year hiatus, Natalie returned for Thor: Love And Thunder. This was perhaps Natalie's best performance as Jane, in part due to Jane's character developing in ways no one expected. Leading up to the release of the film, the marketing was centered around Jane's new Lady Thor persona. One might expect that Natalie was paid similarly to Chris Hemsworth in this film, as it seemed like the stars were going to have equal importance in the film. While both characters were certainly important, Natalie only made $1.2 million from Thor: Love And Thunder, per Freshers Live.
How does all of that compare to Mr. Hemsworth's Thor paychecks?
Chris Hemsworth Has Made $130 Million From Marvel Movies
First and foremost, Chris has appeared in the MCU over twice the amount of times as Natalie has. His appearances in the Avengers movies should be expected to pay him even more handsomely than his starring roles in the Thor films, as the Avengers films have continuously broken box office records. The Thor films certainly have made sizable box office dents, but they pale in comparison to the main ensemble outings.
It's not confirmed what Chris made from the first Avengers movie, nor its sequel Age of Ultron. According to Screen Rant, though, Chris made $15 million each from Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Those checks alone are WAY bigger than anything Natalie ever made from playing Jane Foster.
Chris's first role as the god of thunder in the 2011 Thor film actually paid Chris pretty meagerly. According to Cheat Sheet, Chris made just $150,000 from that movie. It's crazy to think how much his income has ballooned up since that film, but it most certainly has.
In addition to the $15 million Chris made from the last 2 Avengers movies, Chris has also made another $15 million from Thor: Ragnarok. As of right now, his final appearance as Thor is seemingly his role in Thor: Love And Thunder. According to Daily Mail, he made $20 million.
For those who are keeping track, that's a sizable difference from Natalie's salaries as Jane Foster.
Why Did Chris Hemsworth And Natalie Portman Make Different Wages From The Thor Movies
At the end of the day, Chris has made $130 million from playing Thor. Natalie has only made a couple million at most. While Chris plays an Avenger and has more appearances, it is somewhat baffling that there is such a notable difference between the two incomes.
For starters, there's no doubt Chris Hemsworth has put a lot into his role as Thor. Chris has experimented with vegan diets at times, in addition to other experimental diets. For the better part of a decade, Chris has either spent his time acting as Thor, or participating in the endless press releases for the yearly Marvel film. While Natalie has acted as Jane, it hasn't consumed her life the way playing Thor has consumed Chris's life.
Natalie has changed her weight many times throughout her career, though, so is that argument entirely valid? In addition, Natalie played a very hard and challenging role in Black Swan prior to the first Thor movie. She's recently admitted in an interview that maybe she should've gone to therapy to recover from Black Swan. With that film still on her mind, it's amazing she was able to act really well in the first two Thor films. She clearly deserved more for her role as Jane.
Regardless, her time as Jane is finished. Natalie is set to narrate a James Cameron documentary Secrets Of The Elephants. Unfortunately, Chris has had to take a break from acting due to potential issues with Alzheimer's.
There's a theory if Chris does return to acting, it will be a final role as an older version of Thor. Time will tell, but as of right now, Chris has nothing confirmed involving his Marvel future.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGifqK9dosKktIynmK2ZnJ6ybrzOq6ummZ5ivaK1w2adqKpdqbWwvoympq%2BhlWKwqb7IrGShnZ2oxLC%2B06FkrJmclr%2B6ew%3D%3D