In most cases, actors headlining what’s positioned as the first installment in an ongoing blockbuster franchise tend to see their paydays steadily increase if and when the property finds more and more commercial success, but Robert Pattinson got a very sweet deal from the off when he signed on for The Batman.
The actor pocketed a $5 million salary, putting him behind Christian Bale’s $9 million windfall for Batman Begins to become the second highest-paid star when it comes to their first solo outing as the Dark Knight in front of Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer and George Clooney. Not only that, but it’s ten times more than Robert Downey Jr. got for his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Iron Man and miles ahead of what Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans were paid for Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger respectively.
However, insider Daniel Richtman claims that Pattinson is receiving $20 million upfront for the sequel, although the tipster offers no additional information to support the arbitrary number, or any reasons as to why a monster 400% pay rise would be forthcoming close to a year before The Batman is even released. Of course, the real money is made on back-end percentages and profit participation clauses, so the 35 year-old’s $5 million is set to yield a lot more depending on how the reboot performs at the box office.
$20 million would also put him behind Bale once again as the biggest-earning Caped Crusader in cinematic history, after The Dark Knight Rises saw Christopher Nolan’s Bruce Wayne walk away with $30 million in his pocket. If The Batman can reach the billion dollar heights hit by the final two chapters in Nolan’s trilogy, though, then paying Pattinson top dollar would be more than worth the investment.
