Gal Gadot Was Ready to Walk Away From Wonder Woman 1984 Over Her Salary

Gal Gadot revealed in a new interview that she was prepared to walk away from the DC Extended Universe if the studio didn’t meet her salary expectations for Wonder Woman 1984.

“If you look at it like a card game, my hand got better,” the actor told Elle about her ability to negotiate her salary following the success of the first Wonder Woman film. “I was willing to drop the ball and not do it if I wasn’t paid fairly.”

According to the outlet, Gadot was paid roughly $300,000 for 2017’s Wonder Woman, which is considered relatively low for Hollywood standards. Even so, the actor said she “was extremely grateful” to be a part of that film, and described the film — which ended up bringing in $800 million — as her “big break.”

The Diana Prince actor reportedly made 30-plus times that salary for the follow-up. When asked if she was scared to ask for that much money, Gadot was quick to respond, “No, because when I’m righteous, I’m also right.”

Later in the conversation, Gadot explained that her “sense of justice is very strong” across the board. And her Wonder Woman 1984 co-star Kirsten Wiig seemed to double-down on those comments, saying of Gadot, “When she needs to wear that hat, she is very clear on what is right. People who think she’s just a pretty face are dead wrong.”

Despite having Gadot at the helm, Wonder Woman 1984 only grossed $166.53 million worldwide on an estimated $200 million budget, blamed in part on Warner Bros.’ decision to release the sequel simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max on Christmas Day 2020. Speaking about the film’s release at CinemaCon this year, Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins admitted, “It was the best choice in a bunch of bad choices at the moment.” She added that it was a “heartbreaking experience” and “detrimental to the movie.”

It was announced shortly after WW84’s release, however, that Jenkins and Gadot will team up for a third Wonder Woman film. Former Wonder Woman actor Lynda Carter, who made a cameo in a 1984 mid-credits scene also recently teased that she may be returning for the third installment of the franchise. Specifically, Carter made an appearance during DC FanDome and said, “Even if I did know [about Wonder Woman 3], you’d have to kill me to have me talk about it, but I don’t.”

Directed and co-written by Patty Jenkins, Wonder Woman 1984 stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal and Natasha Rothwell. The film is currently available digitally and on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD and is streaming on HBO Max. Wonder Woman 3 has yet to receive a release date.