"It's going to take me twice the amount of work for half the amount of money, and eight months of my time"
Jeremy Renner revealed in an interview that he turned down an offer from Disney for the second season of the series Hawkeye — and for good reason.
Jeremy Renner has been an integral part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years. The American actor rose to fame with roles in films such as The Hurt Locker (for which he received an Oscar nomination), Mission: Impossible, and, of course, as Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, a member of the Avengers.
The latter was given center stage for the first time in the Disney+ series of the same name.
Only Half The Salary - For Half A Jeremy?
As Renner has now revealed in an interview, he has turned down an offer for a second season of Hawkeye due to a drastic reduction in his salary.
Disney reportedly offered him only half the salary he received for the first season. This came as a blow to Renner, who has been recovering from a near-fatal injury the past years.
I didn't ask for more, only fairness.", "I still love the character. I’d still love to do it, but I had to defend myself
A Superhero With A Super-Comeback
The cancellation is especially bitter given Renner's health history. In January 2023, he was run over by a snowplow, suffering over 30 broken bones, a collapsed lung, and other serious injuries.
After a long and intensive rehabilitation, he fought his way back: not only to life, but also to the camera.Renner stated that despite the enormous strain, he felt ready to work again and even wanted to do a second season.
He felt that Disney's significantly worse offer after everything that had happened was disrespectful: "I'm like, 'I'm sorry? Why? Did you think I’m only half the Jeremy because I got run over? Maybe that’s why you want to pay me half of what I made on the first season.'"
Not An isolated Case At Disney
Renner is not the first actor to publicly complain about Disney lately. Time and again, salaries, creative input, and the portrayal of characters come under fire.
John Boyega, known as Finn in the Star Wars trilogy, expressed his displeasure that his character was increasingly pushed out of the center of the plot after a strong start.
Gina Carano, once part of the popular series The Mandalorian, was also fired after controversial comments - despite planned spin-offs. And Freddie Prinze Jr., voice actor in the animated series Star Wars Rebels, only agreed to continue with further episodes on the condition that the entire voice cast receive fair pay.
Are you disappointed in the cancellation of the second season?