Scarlett Johansson Finally Addresses Her Disney Lawsuit

When people in the general public think of celebrities, they typically think of wealth, beauty, and a wonderfully easy lifestyle in Los Angeles (not to mention gorgeous houses like this one, owned by a High School Musical star).

However, when the A-list actress named Scarlett Johansson sued Disney due to the Disney+ release of Black Widow and the money that she claimed was lost due to its lack of an “exclusive” theatrical release, it was clear that celebrities’ lives are not as easy as they may seem.

The Marvel action movie was released on Disney+ (for premier access subscribers) as well as in theaters in 2021, instead of exclusively in theaters (due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic).

Apparently, this simultaneous release strategy (i.e. theatrical release and Disney+ Premier Access release) was not cleared by Johansson, who played the lead character Natasha Romanoff in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and whose contract only allowed for an exclusive theater release.

Because Johansson’s contract paid her a salary based on box office profits, Johansson alleged in the lawsuit that Disney was trying to essentially cheat her out of the Disney+ premier access profits by adding on that second premiere medium.

Piracy was also an issue for the film, as it happens, in addition to Johansson’s issues with the Disney+ premier access streaming release of the Marvel action movie.

The movie did still do well on Disney+, since the Avengers films, Scarlett Johansson, and Marvel movies in general are all usually extremely popular with audiences. However, its Disney+ Premier Access allegedly lost Johansson $50 million in pay.

The Scarlett Johansson and Disney lawsuit caused quite a stir in the Marvel Cinematic Universe fandom and the Disney+ community. News outlets like the Wall Street Journal covered the lawsuit extensively, and actresses like Jamie Lee Curtis and Johansson’s Marvel co-star Elizabeth Olsen supported her claim.

Some Disney Fanatics and Avengers fans were on Johansson’s side when it came to asking for additional compensation simply due to their awareness of the extreme gender-specific pay inequality in Hollywood, while other people felt like the actress’s complaint about making less money while already being paid at least $20 million (for just this one Marvel movie, after already starring in many Marvel films as Natasha Romanoff) was extremely unrelatable.

Regardless of the streaming service lawsuit’s validity in the eyes of fans, the fact remains that Johansson’s lawsuit against Disney and her dispute regarding additional compensation sparked an interesting debate in the world of entertainment post-COVID.

When asked recently about her loyalty to Disney and plans for more Disney or Marvel work (including the Tower of Terror film that was being planned), Johansson had an unnervingly diplomatic answer.

Back in 2021 when the lawsuit was resolved, Johansson said the following: “I am happy to have resolved our differences with Disney. I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done together over the years and have greatly enjoyed my creative relationship with the team. I look forward to continuing our collaboration in years to come.”

Now, however, Johansson has recently implied in an interview with her Marvel movie co-star Gwyneth Paltrow (an actress with her own controversies) on The Goop Podcast that she and Disney are not necessarily going to be buddies anytime soon.

“I’m done,” the actress said. “I did all that I had to do.”

The actress and founder of a new skincare brand, called The Outset, then swiftly moved the conversation forward with a vague comment about the “unique experience” of making the Avengers movies.

Did you pay attention to the Black Widow lawsuit when it was happening back in 2021?

Did you understand where Johansson was coming from, or were you simply sad to hear that she might not be as eager to work with Disney and Marvel in the future on any upcoming projects?