‘MCU’: How Much Was Anthony Hopkins Paid For ‘Thor’?

Sure, Chris Hemsworth was the headliner in ‘Thor.’ But Sir Anthony Hopkins was the true attraction for many Marvel Cinematic Universe fans. And though Chris is arguably a bigger name in Hollywood today, at the time of his becoming Thor, Hopkins was the highest earner on set.

The Richest confirms that Anthony was paid far more as the supporting character than Chris was as the lead. What fans really want to know is just how much more, and the answer is, a few million at least.

The Richest notes that Anthony Hopkins even lowered his rate for ‘Thor’ so that he could enjoy a role in the movie. Instead of asking for $20 mil, he settled for $10 million. It’s true that Hopkins normally makes much more per film than that.

While fans have a tough time seeing Chris as anything other than ‘Thor,’ Anthony doesn’t have the same problem. Though he was an excellent Odin in the MCU, he has a long resume that includes many high-earning roles in various genres.

Celeb Answers confirms that the star earned a staggering $175K per episode for his role on ‘Westworld.’ Hopkins also netted $15 million for one film, ‘The Wolfman.’

And for the Hannibal Lector movies? Though Jack Nicholson almost stole the role from him, Anthony came out on top. His payday reportedly increased by about $5 million with each film. By the time ‘Red Dragon’ came out, Anthony made $20 million.

But really, fans can’t fault Hopkins for having such high earning power. He’s been on the scene since the ’60s, starting out on stage and moving to lucrative films and even a few that involved taking a chance with Hopkins’ reputation.

Some of his most noteworthy roles weren’t the million-dollar ones, though. In fact, Hopkins calls his role as Sir in ‘The Dresser’ his most notable acting experience ever and the “highlight of [his] life.”

But portraying Odin must have been a worthwhile use of Anthony’s time, too. Not only did he act in the 2011 film, but he reprised the role in 2013 and 2017, too. No word yet on whether he’ll come back as Odin (hey, more controversial and unbelievable things have happened in the MCU!) at any point (prequel, maybe?).

Either way, Hopkins did go on to enjoy a role in ‘Transformers,’ too. Suffice it to say, he won’t have to ride off into the sunset even as his earnings dip below $10 million per film (whether because it’s a small part or because Hopkins accepts a pay cut for the opportunity to join the cast).