Despite Henry Cavill’s iconic role in the DCEU, his salary for his debut as Superman was only a small fraction of what one of the most famous actors from the 1978 film earned. Cavill’s tenure as Superman began with Man of Steel, which launched the DCEU movie timeline and linked Cavill’s name to Superman for several years. The 1978 Superman film was a significant milestone in making the superhero genre popular in cinema. Although films featuring comic book heroes existed before, Superman’s ambitious scope set the stage for what has become one of the most profitable genres in cinema.

Superman had a budget of approximately $135 million and grossed $300 million globally. A substantial part of this budget was allocated for the film’s star-studded cast, as detailed in the documentary Taking Flight: The Development of Superman (via YouTube), with Marlon Brando alone commanding $3.7 million for his portrayal of Jor-El. In contrast, Cavill’s compensation for Man of Steel was a modest $300,000. This disparity is particularly striking given that Superman was an adventurous early foray into the genre, while Man of Steel arrived when the genre was at its zenith.

Why Henry Cavill Made So Much Less Than Marlon Brando In His First Man of Steel Paycheck

Following his role in 1972’s “The Godfather,” Marlon Brando became a prominent figure in Hollywood, which was precisely why he was chosen for a part in Superman. Warner Bros, aiming to ensure the film’s success, sought to cast renowned actors, selecting Brando for Jor-El and Gene Hackman for Lex Luthor. Brando equated an actor’s fee to any market product, with his own reaching $3.7 million for a fortnight’s effort.

Conversely, Henry Cavill was not yet a household name in cinema. Known in 2013 primarily for playing Charles Brandon in “The Tudors,” Cavill had not led a major film. This casting approach, common in superhero films, often features actors who gained recognition through supporting roles or television, like Jason Momoa from “Game of Thrones” or Gal Gadot from the “Fast and Furious” series.

Cavill’s initial $300,000 fee is typical for actors new to superhero roles, with the real payoff depending on the role’s duration. Additionally, actors may negotiate for a share of the film’s profits, highlighted by Scarlett Johansson’s dispute with Disney. While it’s unclear if Cavill had such an agreement for “Man of Steel,” it’s likely that his earnings from the DCEU far exceed Brando’s, even when adjusted for inflation.

How Much Marlon Brando’s 1978 Superman Paycheck Would Be Today

Adjusted for inflation, Marlon Brando’s $3.7 million would be worth $17,793,368 today. In 2013, when Man of Steel was released, this fee would have had the spending power of $13,219,952.45. With that in mind, Henry Cavill’s comparative fee was just 2% of Brando’s – quite a far cry from the 10% difference at face value. In contrast, Henry Cavill’s $300,000 would have been worth $83,963.99 in 1978, a fraction still of what Christopher Reeve – who was far less known than Cavill – was paid then.

Adjusting for inflation, however, Superman becomes a billion-dollar movie – something that the DCEU would not achieve outside of Aquaman.

How much Russell Crowe was paid for portraying Jor-El in Man of Steel is uncertain, but it seems Warner Bros was making a habit of casting A-listers in the role to help make the movie more bankable. Man of Steel ended up banking $668 million at the worldwide Box Office which is more than double that of Superman‘s $300.5 million. Adjusting for inflation, however, Superman becomes a billion-dollar movie – something that the DCEU would not achieve outside of Aquaman. With that in mind, it is safe to say that Brando’s star power was probably worth the cost.

How Much Previous Superman Actors Were Paid For Their DC Movies

Much like average jobs, the salaries of Superman movie actors are kept pretty close to the chest for the most part. It is safe to assume, however, that the big bucks did not start rolling in until Christopher Reeves made his mark on the character. Kirk Alyn was the first to portray Superman in two serials, though he reportedly stated (via an interview with superman.nu) that the pay was not much, and that he embodied the role out of passion more than financial gain.

Superman Actor
Superman Movie
Release Date
Salary
Adjusted For Inflation

Christopher Reeve
Superman
1978
$250,000 (via CNW)
$1,202,254.60

Superman II
1980
$500,000 (via CNW)
1,902,597.09

Superman III
1983
$1 million (via CNW)
$3,148,072.29

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
1987
$1 million (via CNW)
$2,760,105.63

Brandon Routh

Henry Cavill
Man of Steel
2013
$300,000 (via The Hollywood Reporter)
$403,784.39

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
2016
Unknown
N/A

Justice League
2017
Unknown
N/A

George Reeves, meanwhile, portrayed Superman in a TV show that spanned 104 episodes between 1952 – 1958, with reports suggesting he was earning anywhere between $2,000 – $5,000 per episode. Today, that would equate to between $24,000 – $60,000 per episode. Given Superman and the Mole-Men was a Pilot Movie intended to launch this TV show, it might be safe to assume that Reeves was paid around that same ballpark for the movie at the time.

Adjusted for inflation, it is plain to see that Christopher Reeve got the best deal initially for his debut as the Man of Steel. Reports surrounding Cavill’s salaries for his tenure are unclear following his debut in Man of Steel, though it is safe to assume that his salary skyrocketed in subsequent appearances. The widely misreported $14 million that he supposedly received for Man of Steel (which was cleared up by THR) may instead have been derived from his fee for Justice League, for instance, though there is no way to be certain.

Henry Cavill Was Paid Almost As Much For His Black Adam Cameo As Man Of Steel

By the time Black Adam was released in 2022, Cavill was a well-established name thanks in no small part to his Superman career. This meant that he could demand a cool $250,000 for simply appearing at the end of Black Adam with no lines, according to Umberto Gonzalez via Twitter/X. Such a fee is indicative of what the actor might have been raking in for his starring role in Justice League, but it also goes to show just how far the actor came since earning just $50,000 more for starring in an entire movie.

This cameo was supposed to precede a Man of Steel sequel, which Cavill began promoting soon after before the announcement of the DCU reboot would swiftly cut his tenure short. The fact that Cavill’s starring roles land in the top 6 of the DCEU’s highest-grossing movies shows just how popular the actor was in the role, and why his departure was met with such widespread disappointment. Now, with David Corenswet in the leading role, the DCU appears poised to repeat the decades-old tactic of casting lesser-known Superman actors; and hopefully, this one goes the distance.

Superman

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Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Richard Donner’s Superman brought DC’s Man of Steel to the big screen, making millions believe that a man could fly. Christopher Reeves plays Clark Kent, the alter-ego of Kal-El, the famous alien orphan sent to Earth as his home planet is destoryed. Raised in Smallville, Kansas by Jonathan and Martha Kent, Clark grows up and must balance his life as a Daily Planet journalist with his superhero duties, as villainous mastermind Lex Luthor threatens both him and millions of US citizens.

Runtime127 Mins

Man of Steel

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This new take on Superman’s origin story, Man of Steel, centers on young journalist Clark Kent/Kal-El, a being who came to Earth as a child from Krypton. Though he has trouble fitting in with his secret superpowers and questions his purpose in life, Clark is forced into action when fellow Kryptonian General Zod arrives on Earth hellbent on conquest. Clark is built by the values set upon him by his parents, Martha and Jonathan Kent, who adopted him as an otherworldly orphan, inadvertently raising him to become the hero humanity needs.

Runtime143 minutes

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