Guardians of the Galaxy 3: Here’s How Much the Guardians Cast Got Paid for Their Appearance in the MCU

The Guardians are now back together in the theatres for what is presumably the last time. While we never really know what crazy move the MCU pulls off next, this is probably the last that we’ll see of the cast together as the Guardians of the Galaxy in the Marvel’s Cinematic Universe.

The GOTG cast primarily includes Chris Pratt as Star Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon, Vin Diesel as Groot, Dave Bautista as Drax, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, & Karen Gillen as Nebula. They first appeared in the MCU in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol I, followed by 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol II. They returned with Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Endgame in 2019, followed by a brief appearance in last year’s Thor: Love and Thunder. That makes it a total of 6 movies in the MCU along with a telefilm from 2022- Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, where the Guardians cast appeared together.

While the cast is already busy with their next projects, having moved on from the MCU, here’s how much they are estimated to have earned during their tenure at Marvel.

Chris Pratt (Peter Quill a.k.a. Star Lord)

Chris Pratt first appeared in the MCU in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1, where, according to the US Weekly, the actor started with around $1.5 million. Given that Pratt received a raise with his time in the MCU, having reportedly earned $5 million for Infinity War, he is estimated to have received about $20 to $25 million for Star Lord.

Bradley Cooper (Rocket Raccoon)

A 2019 report from Forbes stated how Cooper could “command about 1% of the back end, which would translate to $7 million for Endgame.” Given that Endgame was Cooper’s fourth appearance in the MCU, and the assumption that his payment increased over time, he is estimated to have earned a total of about $20 to $30 million for voicing Rocket Raccoon.

Dave Bautista (Drax the Destroyer)

According to Epicstream, Bautista earned $1.4 million for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol I, and an estimated $3 million for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol II. For Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, Bautista is assumed to have earned a combined sum of $4 million. With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol III being Bautista’s third appearance as Drax after Endgame, ScreenRant estimates his earnings to be a total of around $15 to $20 million from the MCU.

Vin Diesel (Groot)

The Fast and the Furious star’s earnings from the Guardian’s franchise is reportedly not clear, However, ScreenRant mentions that the actor reportedly earned about $20 million for his upcoming movie Fast X, which puts him at an estimated value of $13 to 15 million for the GOTG franchise.

Zoe Saldana (Gamora)

While Zoe Saldana is one of the biggest stars in the cast, ScreenRant’s estimate puts her at a lower pay as compared to her male counterparts. $100,000 for the first Guardians of the GalaxyAccording to $100,000 for the first Guardians of the Galaxy. With subsequent pay raises, and potential back-end deals, she is estimated to have received $10 to $15 million for her appearances as Gamora in the MCU.

Karen Gillan (Nebula)

Gillan reportedly earned $140,000 from GOTG Vol I, according to The Things. ScreenRant now estimates her combined earnings from all her performances to be somewhere between $10 to $12 million.

Pom Klementieff (Mantis)

Klementieff is the only member of the cast who did not appear in the first Guardians movie, but made her debut in the MCU with GOTG Vol II. ScreenRant estimates her starting salary to be around $100,000, and around $5 to $10 million for her entire appearance in the MCU.