Marvel has been getting into quite a lot of trouble recently because of not paying their employees what they rightfully deserve. The most well-known instance is the exploitation of VFX artists who are perhaps some of the most important people for Marvel film. An actor from the MCU has also spoken on the subject, Hugo Weaving.
Best known for being part of Keanu Reeves’s The Matrix, as well as playing the iconic role of Red Skull in Captain America: First Avenger, the actor went on to reveal the real reason for their absence from the beloved films, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Hugo Weaving Was Approached To Appear In Avengers: Infinity War And Avengers: Endgame
Hugo Weaving, who played the iconic role of Red Skull in Captain America: First Avenger, revealed that when he signed onto the first film, he also signed for three movies, with Captain America 1 being one of them. While he did not think that he would play this character again in any Captain America film, he knew that there was a possibility that he could have to reprise the role in an Avengers film.
“I loved playing that character Red Skull it was a lot of fun. We were all obliged to sign up for three pictures: I was thinking (Red Skull) probably wouldn’t come back in ‘Captain America’ but he may well come back as a villain in The Avengers.” he stated.
Thinking that he would come back in some way or the other, Weaving signed the contract. He then revealed that he, in fact, was approached by Marvel Studios to reprise his character in the latest Avengers films, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Things, however, were very different this time around.
Why Did Hugo Weaving Not Return To The MCU?
Hugo Weaving revealed that when he was discussing with Marvel to come back for the films, they went back on their contracts and changed the deals completely. He was, originally, offered a lot more to work in Avengers, and now what he was getting for his work in two films was much lesser than what he got in even Captain America: First Avenger.
“By then, they’d pushed back on the contracts that we agreed on and so the money they offered me for The Avengers was much less than I got for the very first one, and this was for two films. And the promise when we first signed the contracts was that the money would grow each time,” Weaving added, “They said: ‘It’s just a voice job, it’s not a big deal’. I actually found negotiating with them through my agent impossible. And I didn’t really wanna do it that much. But I would have done it,”
On top of this, he was also told initially that with each film he did, his pay would increase. That, clearly, did not happen and Marvel stated that since he was only required for a voice job, they would not pay him much. Weaving found negotiating threw his agent quite frustrating, so, though he wouldn’t have minded doing the project, he passed up on it. The role was then ultimately played by Ross Marquand in the two films.
Source: CBR
