'Avengers: Infinity War' Star Benedict Cumberbatch Demands Equal Pay for Female Co-Stars

Avengers: Infinity War star Benedict Cumberbatch is using his meteoric rise in Hollywood to bring attention to an issue all too common in the entertainment industry. Speaking with Radio Times, Cumberbatch revealed that he only plans to take new roles in which his female co-stars make equal pay.

"It's about implementation," Cumberbatch said. "Equal pay and a place at the table are the central tenets of feminism. Look at your quotas. Ask what women are being paid, and say: 'If she's not paid the same as the men, I'm not doing it.'"

Cumberbatch went on to explain the makeup of his production company. He and his business partner Adam Ackland are virtually the only two men involved in SunnyMarch.

"I'm proud that [friend and business partner] Adam and I are the only men in our production company; our next project is a female story with a female lens about motherhood, in a time of environmental disaster," Cumberbatch added. "If it's centered around my name, to get investors, then we can use that attention for a raft of female projects. Half the audience is female. And, in terms of diversity, 'Black Panther' is now the third most successful film of all time."

The pay gap in Hollywood received wide exposure after it was revealed Mark Wahlberg had received a substantial amount of more money than co-star Michelle Williams for scheduled reshoots on All The Money in the World. Wahlberg earned over $5 million for his role in the movie while Williams walked away with just $625,000.

Outside of his role as Doctor Stephen Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Cumberbatch also stars in Showtime's Patrick Melrose.

Marvel Studios' Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War are in theaters now. It will be followed by Ant-Man and the Wasp on July 6, 2018, Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019, the fourth Avengers movie on May 3, 2019, the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming on July 5, 2019, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in 2020.