Scarlett Johansson and Disney Settle Black Widow Lawsuit

Scarlett Johansson’s contentious lawsuit against Disney over the release strategy of Black Widow is at an end, with the two sides coming to a settlement. THR reports that the two sides have settled the breach of contract lawsuit that Johansson’s legal team filed in July. Terms of the deal were not diclosed.

Johansson filed the suit following the MCU film’s day-and-date release in theaters and on Disney+ via Premier Access for $29.99, alleging that the day-and-date release sacrificed the movie’s box office potential in order to grow the streaming service. The allegation was that with the theatrical revenue artificially stunted, Johansson’s incentive bonuses based on the film’s performance were sabotaged in favor of boosting Disney’s stock price.

The proceedings grew quickly contentious, with Disney taking the unprecedented step of disclosing Johansson’s payday for the film and accusing Johansson of showing a “callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Things continued to go downhill, with Disney filed a motion to move the lawsuit to arbitration in August, which which Johansson’s lawyers said, “Disney is now, predictably, trying to hide its misconduct in a confidential arbitration.”

Johansson’s lawsuit got support from several prominent stars, including her fellow MCU stars Elizabeth Olsen and Dave Bautista as well as Jamie Lee Curtis, Jason Blum, and other. The film has earned $377.1 million worldwide, plus an additional $125 million-plus through Disney+ Premier Access.

Johansson said in a statement, “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.”

“I’m very pleased that we have been able to come to a mutual agreement with Scarlett Johansson regarding Black Widow,” Alan Bergman, Chairman, Disney Studios Content, added. “We appreciate her contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and look forward to working together on a number of upcoming projects, including Disney’s Tower of Terror.”