Wonder Woman 1984 was released in the midst of the pandemic, and as it was made available on HBO Max the same day it hit the big screen, no one was really surprised when it bombed with $166.53 million worldwide (the budget was at least $200 million, but likely higher due to the delays).
Long before that happened, though, the sequel very nearly lost its Diana Prince. Talking to Elle, actress Gal Gadot revealed that she was prepared to walk away from the DC Extended Universe if Warner Bros. was unwilling to meet her salary demands. "If you look at it like a card game, my hand got better," she said. "I was willing to drop the ball and not do it if I wasn't paid fairly."
The site notes that Gadot was paid $300,000 for 2017's Wonder Woman, an undeniably low figure for a lead role in a superhero blockbuster. Noting that she "was extremely grateful" to be part of the movie, its success gave her the opportunity to earn 30x more on Wonder Woman 1984. If you can't do the math, that adds up to an impressive $9 million.
Gadot, who didn't have the best 2020 after facing ridicule for her "Believe" video, was quick to say that her "sense of justice is very strong" and that she wasn't scared to ask for a pay rise because "when I'm righteous, I'm also right."
Ultimately, there's no denying that Warner Bros. paying Gadot a much higher amount for Wonder Woman 1984 was the right thing to do, especially as we know her co-star, Chris Pine, was paid significantly more for that first movie. Of course, Gadot was a relative unknown at the time, but she's since become one of Hollywood's most highly sought after stars.
Wonder Woman 3 is officially happening, but Warner Bros. has yet to announce a release date.