Marvel may have crafted a multibillion-dollar cinematic universe. Still, some of its most iconic stars didn’t stick around; not because of character arcs or scheduling conflicts, but because they were simply offered less money.
From Jeremy Renner’s alleged Hawkeye Season 2 walkout to Hugo Weaving refusing to return as Red Skull, lowball offers have cost Marvel major talent over the years. Renner most recently revealed that he’d declined to return for Season 2 after being offered half his salary.
And he’s not alone; Hugo Weaving, Carrie Coon, and even Fantastic Four newcomer John Malkovich have spoken out or reportedly pushed back against underwhelming Marvel deals.
When Marvel’s mega-profits don’t translate into fair actor compensation, stars are more than willing to walk.
1) Jeremy Renner
Renner’s MCU stint started out as a cameo in Thor (2011) and grew to become a leading cast member in the TV series Hawkeye (2021).
Though fans were looking forward to his return for Season 2, Variety reports Renner turned it down due to being offered 50% less than what he was previously paid. Given his recovery from a near-fatal accident, the offer felt especially tone-deaf. And fans? Rightfully outraged.
This wasn’t just about Clint Barton. It was about respect.
2) Hugo Weaving
Who can forget Weaving’s chilling portrayal of Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger? Apparently, Marvel could.
Weaving told Time Out London in 2020 that “They’d pushed back on the contracts that we agreed on. (…) And the promise when we first signed the contracts was that the money would grow each time.”
Ross Marquand later voiced Red Skull in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame—but the vibe? Not quite the same.
3) Carrie Coon
The Emmy-nominated The Leftovers, Fargo, and recently The White Lotus actress voiced Proxima Midnight in Avengers: Infinity War, but fans noticed her absence in Endgame. Many suggest Marvel offered her a smaller deal for a second appearance, so she opted out.
Coon’s husband, Tracy Letts, told The Big Picture podcast, “We would’ve made a bigger deal out of this, but it would have involved us watching the movies, and we weren’t going to do that.” Given her prestige TV status, Carrie Coon didn’t need to settle for table scraps.
4) John Malkovich
Here’s the wildcard. Malkovich is finally entering the MCU in this year’s Fantastic Four: First Steps…but not before rejecting multiple offers over the years.
In a GQ interview, the veteran actor was candid: “The reason I didn’t do them had nothing to do with any artistic considerations… I didn’t like the deals they made, at all. If you’re going to hang from a crane in front of a green screen for six months, pay me.” Marvel may have finally upped the offer, but he made it clear: lowball me, I’m out.
Marvel may be a money-making machine, but when it skimps on its talent, even superheroes draw the line.
BONUS: Andrew Garfield
Technically, it’s a Sony-turned-MCU situation, but Garfield’s 2014 fallout with the studio deserves mention. After skipping a high-stakes Amazing Spider-Man 3 reveal event due to illness, BuzzFeed reports Sony execs were so enraged they fired him and axed the trilogy’s final installment.
But behind-the-scenes whispers also reveal a tense pay structure and creative disagreements that left Garfield feeling underappreciated, that is, until No Way Home gave him a redemptive return.
