Spider-Man Actress Regrets The Unfair Terms Of Her Contract
This popular Spider-Man actress says she wasn't paid her fair share for the Spider-Man movies.
It’s no secret that female actors in Hollywood have long struggled with unfair treatment and salaries compared to their male counterparts. A study led by a team of economists even recently reported that male Hollywood stars earn $1.1 million more per film than their similarly experienced female co-stars. Many mega Hollywood female actresses have taken notice of the gender inequality and have even begun speaking up about it, including Kirsten Dunst. In a recent interview with The Independent, the renowned actress divulged her “extreme” pay disparity and unfair terms for the blockbuster Spider-Man trilogy.
During the sit-down interview for The Independent, the 39-year-old reminisced on her acting career, and focused on her ignorance as a teen, claiming that she not only was asked to alter her appearance for one of her most popular appearances as Mary Jane in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man but to accept an “extreme” pay difference between her and Tobey Maguire. Dunst recalled the producer unexpectedly driving her to a dentist’s office and demanding she gets her teeth straightened before filming. At that point, Dunst did stand her ground and refused to go through with the procedure as she recalled her teeth being photoshopped for the final poster for the film. Dunst stated, “I never stood up for myself or said anything back. Even just saying no and knowing your worth, that’s such a big deal.” She corrects herself. “It’s not that big of a deal. Guys have been doing it forever.”
Dunst was no newcomer to Hollywood when the 19-year-old took the role of Mary Jane, the best friend and love interest to Spider-Man’s Peter Parker. By the age of ten, she had already kissed Hollywood’s hottest actor, Brad Pitt, in her breakthrough role as Claudia, the child vampire in the acclaimed Interview with the Vampire. The young actor also had lead roles in Little Women and Jumanji. Staying behind the lens throughout her childhood and teen years, Dunst also starred in the now cult classic Bring It On before landing possibly her most famous role in her young adult years with Spider-Man.
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy is best remembered for helping to usher in the new era of comic book films that exists today. The original film grossed over $821 million at the box office with a high approval rating from critics across the board. The following sequels, which boasted a return of Kirsten Dunst, grossed $789 million and $894 million, respectively. Tobey Maguire reportedly brought home $4 million to play the superhero Peter Parker in the first film, and subsequently $17.5 million followed by $15 million for the trilogy’s final film. However, there are no concrete reports on what Dunst brought home for her role.
The recent interview with Dunst couldn’t have come at a more interesting time, as rumors surrounding possible cameo crossovers involving Raimi’s Spider-Man and the current franchise depicted by Tom Holland are taking over the internet. It has already been confirmed that the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home will boast the return of Willem Dafoe and Alfred Molina, who co-starred with Dunst playing the villains Green Goblin and Doc Ock, respectively. But fans have long speculated that the upcoming film will see the return of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man, along with Kirsten Dunst’s Mary Jane. She has however shot down any suggestions of her reprising her role, and fans will have to wait until the movie premiers in theatres on December 17th to see if Dunst makes the return.
