Tim Miller reveals the jaw-droppingly low salary he received for directing Marvel’s Deadpool

Last Updated on January 2, 2025

When people think about the Deadpool film franchise, they think of fast-talking banter, over-the-top violence, and money—lots and lots of money. In 2016, director Tim Miller brought the Merc with a Mouth to cinemas for an unconventional superhero splatterfest starring Ryan Reynolds in the role he was born to play. The Assassin in Red Pajamas quickly became an overnight sensation, with the film earning $782 million worldwide. Indeed, Tim Miller received a big piece of that pie, right? He’s the director, after all. He probably made millions. Wrong! During a panel at CCXP in São Paulo, Brazil, for his Secret Level animated series, Miller revealed his salary for directing Deadpool. He made $225,000! I’m gonna let that sink in.

While $225,000 is a decent chunk of change for us, imagine getting paid that pittance when the thing you made banked $782 million! That must sting worse than a Chimichanga covered in Fire Sauce coming out of your backend. When asked to react to pay gap, Miller told Collider‘s Steve Weintraub that he’s thrilled to have played a part in Deadpool’s silver-screen popularity.

“You know what I feel? Nothing but pride. I mean, I feel like every time I walk down the aisles out there on the floor of CCXP and I see all these Deadpool figurines, I think they wouldn’t be here if we hadn’t made that film. And I feel uniquely fortunate that I could be part of it. Then, my second thought is, I wish my director deals had a piece of the merchandising so that I could get some money from all of that.”

“You guys might not know, but it’s not really a profitable thing to be a first-time director in Hollywood, and I’ll tell you exactly,” Miller continued. “I got $225,000 to direct Deadpool. I know it sounds like a lot of money, but for two years of work, that’s not a ton of money. Not that I’m not grateful, I’m fucking grateful, that’s the way it is because you’re supposed to when you’re a first-time director. My agent said ‘Dude, you make more on an episode of The Walking Dead!'”

Wow! Miller has a fantastic attitude about his compensation for directing Deadpool. I would be livid if I saw those numbers, knowing Marvel paid me in couch change. Miller’s got a point, though. Pioneering Deadpool’s resurgence is an honor. Deadpool makes many people happy, and that, my friends, is priceless.

What do you think about Miller’s paycheck for Deadpool? Did Marvel get away with monetary murder? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.