Forbes released its annual highest-paid actors list for 2017 and there are quite a few newcomers on the list. Overall, the list (for earnings between June 1, 2016, and June 1, 2017) proves that if you star in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you’re set for a while.
20. Mark Ruffalo
Earnings: $13 million
Ruffalo got a nice payday from his role in the MCU. He’ll be appearing next in “Thor: Ragnarok” as Marvel’s jolly green giant.
19. Chris Pratt
Earnings: $17 million
Pratt is also a staple in the MCU, with his starring role in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise. He made 35 percent less than last year, but still manages to make the top 20.
18. Chris Evans
Earnings: $18 million.
Look another MCU veteran. Evans plays Captain America and is expected to earn an even bigger paycheck with his role in “Avengers: Infinity War.”
17. Jeremy Renner
Earnings: $19 million
We sense a pattern. However, Renner is on the list thanks to his role in “Arrival,” which earned over $200 million at the box office.
16. Matt Damon
Earnings: $21 million
Damon is expected to earn a huge paycheck with his upcoming film “Downsizing,” but multiple executive producing credits surely help.
15. Ryan Reynolds
Earnings: $21.5 million
Expectations for “Deadpool 2” are high and his paycheck will be even higher.
14. Ryan Gosling
Earnings: $29 million
“La La Land” and an Oscar nomination really helped Gosling to make it onto the list, plus the upcoming “Blade Runner 2049” didn’t hurt.
13. Samuel L. Jackson
Earnings: $30.5 million
He gets money from his deal with Capital One but the sheer number of movies Jackson appears in contributes. He starred in “Kong: Skull Island,” “xXx: Return of Xander Cage” and “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” in 2017 alone.
12. Tom Hanks
Earnings: $31 million
A frequent member of the highest-paid actors club, Hanks raked in paychecks from “The Circle,” “Sully,” and the third Robert Langdom film “Inferno.”
11. Chris Hemsworth
Earnings: $31.5 million
The best Chris? At least the highest-paid one. The Marvel actor saw the biggest increase in money earned this year of anybody else on the list.
10. Akshay Kumar
Earnings: $35.5 million
Many inside the United States may not realize it but Bollywood is a big moneymaker. Kumar’s films are some of the highest grossing in Indian history.
9. Salman Khan
Earnings: $37 million
Another Bollywood star. Khan has been one of the country’s biggest stars for nearly three decades. He starred in the movie “Sultan” in 2016.
8. Shah Rukh Khan
Earnings: $38 million
They don’t call him the “King of Bollywood” for nothing. He had four film roles in 2016 and has three listed for 2017.
7. Tom Cruise
Earnings: $43 million
Like Hanks, Cruise is another frequent flyer on this list. He earned massive paychecks this year for “The Mummy” and “Mission: Impossible 6.”
6. Robert Downey Jr.
Earnings: $48 million
Being the highest-paid actor in the MCU will help those numbers. A lot.
5. Jackie Chan
Earnings: $49 million
He may not be as frequent in American cinemas but he’s still the biggest star from mainland China.
4. Adam Sandler
Earnings: $50.5 million
Sandler is making big money from his deal with Netflix. Recently, the streaming service extended that deal for four more films.
3. Vin Diesel
Earnings: $54.4 million
The eighth installment in the “Fast and the Furious” franchise, “The Fate of the Furious,” made over $1 billion internationally and that doesn’t even include paychecks from “xXx: The Return of Xander Cage” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.”
2. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Earnings: $65 million
He was the top earner on Forbes’ list last year. Despite some box office disappointments, like with “Baywatch,” he’s still rolling in the dough.
1. Mark Wahlberg
Earnings: $68 million
Wahlberg smelled what the Rock was cooking and took the top spot this year thanks to big paychecks from “Transformers: The Last Knight” and the upcoming “Daddy’s Home 2.”
