It was a huge surprise to all the Marvel fans as well as to Disney when Scarlett Johansson launched a lawsuit against the company for breach of contract regarding the release of her Marvel Studios film, Black Widow. The movie was released to both theaters and the Disney+ streaming service, however, after months it seems that the two parties have settled the suit.
“I’m 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.”
— Scarlett Johansson
In response to the settlement of the lawsuit, the Disney Studios chairman Alan Bergman offered the following statement:
“I’m very pleased that we have been able to come to a mutual agreement with Scarlett Johansson regarding Black Widow. We appreciate her contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and look forward to working together on several upcoming projects, including Disney’s Tower of Terror.”
During the time of the lawsuit, the actress has claimed that the studio had offered up her film, Black Widow, as a sacrifice to boost the Disney+ streaming service. She also claimed that the movie was written as a theatrical exclusive in her contract for the film but it was not the case during the launch of the film.
The lawsuit claimed that the film was moved to Disney+, which also saved the company the “very large box office bonuses” that Disney and Marvel Studios would have otherwise been obligated to pay the actor.
On other notes, studios like Warner Bros. Have reportedly set aside as much as $200 million to pay the stars of the huge slate of films like Wonder Woman 1984, Godzilla vs. Kong, and Dune for the fact that these films are soon scheduled to launch on HBO Max in addition to theaters.
As for the settlement of the lawsuit, it was not publicly disclosed but reports indicate that the settlement is coming in at $40 million.
