10 MCU Actors That Exposed the TRUTH About Marvel

WatchMojo

From salary disputes to creative constraints, several Marvel stars have spoken out about their experiences. Join us as we explore the revealing statements from MCU actors about working conditions, business practices, and the franchise's impact on the film industry. Which revelation surprised you the most?

Transcript

00:00I didn't ask for any more money behind you, right? It's just Paymood had made the first season.

00:03So it's a little disheartening that that didn't happen.

00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at MCU actors who revealed the hard truths about

00:11Marvel's working conditions, business practices, creative restraints, and overall impact.

00:16The actress has sued the Walt Disney Company over the way the company chose to release her

00:20latest film, Black Widow, alleging a breach of contract.

00:25Anthony Mackie. Once upon a time, star power alone could market a movie.

00:29What are you doing here? First off, I'm a big fan. Appreciate it.

00:33The past couple of decades have produced fewer actors who can attract audiences through name

00:37recognition. As well cast as the MCU movies usually are, audiences are showing up to see

00:42the characters rather than the actors playing them.

00:45Where does it feel?

00:49Like it's someone else's.

00:53It isn't.

00:54Anthony Mackie echoed this at London Comic-Con in 2018, saying that he isn't a movie star.

01:00The Falcon is a movie star.

01:02Mackie went on to say the evolution of the superhero has meant the death of the movie star,

01:06touching upon several classic films that wouldn't get made today.

01:09The evolution of the superhero has meant the death of the movie star.

01:16And that's the fear now.

01:17While Mackie avoided pinning the blame solely on Marvel, there's no denying that the MCU

01:22has played a major part in the problems he listed.

01:25Natalie Portman.

01:26Just as Marvel has only given us a handful of female-led superhero movies, representation

01:31behind the scenes leaves something to be desired.

01:33What was that?

01:34It was delicious. I want another.

01:35Well, you could have just said so.

01:37It appeared Patty Jenkins would become the first woman to direct an MCU movie with Thor

01:41The Dark World.

01:42This excited Natalie Portman, who signed on to reprise her role as Jane Foster under the

01:47impression that she'd be working with Jenkins.

01:49Who's the new guy?

01:50That guy?

01:52You're gonna love that guy.

01:54Portman had championed Jenkins for the job, reportedly expressing frustration when Marvel

01:58went in another direction.

01:59This might be partly why Portman didn't return for Thor Ragnarok, although she would come back

02:04for Thor Love and Thunder.

02:05As far as I know, I'm done.

02:08I mean, I don't know if maybe one day they'll ask for an Avengers 7 or whatever.

02:14I have no idea.

02:15Meanwhile, Jenkins went on to direct Wonder Woman in 2017, two years before a female director

02:20got another shot at Marvel.

02:22Dave Bautista.

02:23Whatever the future holds for the DCU, Marvel and Disney let a big fish get away in James

02:28Gunn.

02:28While Gunn returned to give the Guardians of the Galaxy a proper send-off, the damage was

02:33done.

02:33Much of the Guardians' cast stood by Gunn amid his firing.

02:37I am grieved.

02:38It's not rude.

02:39It's what it's here for.

02:40None were more vocal than Dave Bautista, praising Gunn in a tweet that concluded,

02:44I'm not okay with what's happening to him.

02:46Although Gunn came back for a last hurrah, Bautista expressed disappointment with the direction

02:51his character went.

02:51In recent years, certain Marvel heroes have been criticized for getting too silly.

02:58Okay.

03:02She just told everyone your deepest, darkest secret.

03:05Dude, come on.

03:06I think you're overreacting a little bit.

03:07You must be so embarrassed.

03:09Bautista shared this sentiment about Drax the Destroyer.

03:12While Bautista was grateful for the role, getting to move on came as a relief.

03:17Mickey Rourke.

03:18For every Thanos, there are a dozen whiplashes, a completely forgettable villain with little

03:23personality and motivations that are hard to connect with.

03:26That's not the character Mickey Rourke sought to play.

03:28You come from a family of thieves and butchers.

03:35And now, like all guilty men, you try to rewrite your own history.

03:41Speaking with Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau and writer Justin Theroux, Rourke thought he

03:45would get to craft a character with layers.

03:47According to Rourke, though, Marvel just wanted a one-dimensional bad guy so most of the performance

03:52ended up on the floor.

03:53Rourke's words can be applied to many of the OneNote villains who'd follow in his footsteps.

03:58Favreau, who still plays Happy Hogan, also seemingly provided an allegory for working

04:02with Marvel in his film Chef, which centers on a man revisiting his creative roots after

04:06being constrained by his boss.

04:08You're a cook.

04:09You're a chef.

04:10This is what you've been cooking for years and it works.

04:13And either you cook the menu that our customers have come to...

04:16You want me to cook the same food?

04:17Kristen Bell.

04:18This Oscar winner is no stranger to superhero movie.

04:21Starring in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy.

04:24Where those films try to incorporate as many practical effects as possible, the MCU has

04:29gained a dubious reputation for over-relying on digital technology.

04:33He's nothing like you.

04:34That's right.

04:35I'm not a hypocrite.

04:37I'm truly creating peace.

04:40When Bell played Gore the God Butcher in Thor Love and Thunder, he found himself disenchanted

04:45by the heavy use of green screen, saying there was a monotony to his on-set experience.

04:50He couldn't distinguish one day from the next or even tell the stages apart.

04:54While Bell liked the people involved, he learned that green screen acting isn't for him.

04:59Unlike some of his past roles, Bell didn't feel the need to go method here, saying it would've

05:04been a pitiful attempt to do that.

05:06Chris Hemsworth.

05:07Of the OG Avengers, Thor arguably did the biggest 180 personality-wise.

05:12Although Thor Ragnarok was praised for its more comedic tone, critics and audiences generally

05:16felt the humor went overboard in Love and Thunder.

05:18Thor himself shared the same reservations.

05:32While Hemsworth had fun making Thor's fourth solo adventure, he acknowledged that maybe

05:37he got caught up in the improv and the wackiness.

05:39Hemsworth also felt like he'd become a parody of himself, admitting that the film was too

05:44silly.

05:44Hemsworth found it reinvigorating, going from Love and Thunder to Furiosa, a Mad Max saga.

05:49Filling the latter allowed him to lose himself in the character.

05:52When you behave, I'll behave.

05:55I'll protect Gustown from all treachery.

05:57It will be as impenetrable as this citadel.

06:01Stability born from a world of chaos.

06:03The same couldn't be said about working with Marvel, where Hemsworth senses he might be

06:07replaceable.

06:08Edward Norton.

06:09Originating the role of Bruce Banner in the MCU, Edward Norton supposedly wasn't the

06:14easiest actor to work with, wanting more creative freedom on The Incredible Hulk.

06:18He told me what he wanted to do.

06:21He wants it out of me.

06:23He wants to dissect it so that he can replicate it.

06:26He wants to make it a weapon.

06:28Kevin Feige opted not to bring Norton back, suggesting the Avengers need actors who are

06:32team players.

06:33Norton found Feige's comment cheap, although he wasn't especially interested in returning

06:37anyway.

06:38Wanting more diversity in his filmography, Norton felt he'd become associated with one character

06:43if he continued to play the Hulk.

06:44Norton's reservations weren't unfounded, as even the most versatile actors have had their

06:49other work overshadowed by the MCU.

06:51For example, we all know that Mark Ruffalo is the Hulk now, but only true cinephiles can

06:56name the four roles that scored him Oscar nominations.

06:59Terrence Howard

07:11When Iron Man entered production, few could have foretold that it'll launch a cinematic universe.

07:16The truth is, I am Iron Man.

07:25With Tony Stark and James Rhodes poised to make multiple appearances beyond the Iron Man

07:30films, it appeared Robert Downey Jr. and Terrence Howard were headed for massive paydays.

07:35While that was certainly the case for Downey, there was no next time for Howard.

07:41Next time, baby.

07:42After earning at least $3.5 million for the first film, Howard was reportedly supposed to

07:47receive as much as $8 million for Iron Man 2.

07:50That number was slashed to $1 million, supposedly because of Howard's behavior on set.

07:55Don Cheadle ultimately accepted the $1 million deal, becoming the new roadie.

07:59Hey, Jim.

08:03Yeah.

08:06Let's take it inside.

08:08Howard, meanwhile, remains a reminder that even with deep pockets, Marvel can also pinch

08:13pennies.

08:14Jeremy Renner

08:14It isn't just one-off actors like Howard who've clashed with Marvel over wages.

08:19Nearly a decade after debuting as Clint Barton, Jeremy Renner finally got to take center stage

08:24in the Disney Plus series Hawkeye.

08:26Your problem is branding.

08:28No, my problem is you.

08:29Although there were talks of a second season, Renner walked away when he was reportedly offered

08:33half his previous payment.

08:35This notably happened after Renner survived a traumatic snowplow accident.

08:39Two years since the 54-year-old broke more than 38 bones in a near-fatal snowplow accident.

08:45While Renner has been recovering, he felt his reduced salary was a reaction to his injuries.

08:49To Renner, it was as if the accountants viewed him as only half the Jeremy.

08:53Why? Did you think I'm only half the Jeremy because I got ran over?

08:57Renner was open to the physical challenge, but he said it would take twice the amount

09:01of work, which he wasn't going to do for half the money.

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09:20Scarlett Johansson

09:22Former Marvel Entertainment CEO Ike Perlmutter was reportedly apprehensive about female-led

09:27superhero movies, feeling they wouldn't sell.

09:30After dragging their feet for nearly a decade, Marvel at last gave fan-favorite Natasha Romanoff

09:35a solo movie.

09:36Pain only makes us stronger.

09:39Didn't you tell us that?

09:41Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the film's release by a year.

09:45While there was little Marvel could do about that, Black Widow was controversially given

09:49a premiere access release on Disney Plus during its theatrical run.

09:53This went against Scarlett Johansson's contract, which stipulated that the film be a theatrical

09:58exclusive with a portion of the box office earnings going to her.

10:01She says releasing the film on the streaming service was a breach of her contract, allegedly

10:06saving Disney and Marvel from paying her what the company would have owed her from a sole

10:11box office release.

10:12Johansson took out a lawsuit against Disney, eventually settling.

10:16While Johansson didn't hold a grudge against Disney or Marvel, she found

10:19the experience to be very unprofessional.

10:23Are there any sad truths about Marvel we missed?

10:25Let us know in the comments down below.

10:27And that's why people stop going to the movies, because most of the movies suck.

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