Scarlett Johansson is suing Marvel over the release of Black Widow on Disney+. Johansson has long been a mainstay in the MCU, debuting in 2010's Iron Man 2 as Natasha Romanoff and starring in a slew of other Marvel projects as the character. Fans long called for the character to get her own solo MCU film and Marvel heeded the call only after killing off Natasha Romanoff in Avengers: Endgame. Black Widow was originally meant to release in May 2020, but was delayed multiple times due to the pandemic. When Marvel officially kicked off Phase 4 of the MCU with WandaVision on Disney+, they seemingly made the decision to move full steam ahead with their release plans.
This included the release of Black Widow and many wondered if Disney would decide to premiere the movie on their streaming platform akin to the releases of Mulan and Soul in 2020. Ultimately, the studio decided to do just that, releasing Black Widow in theaters and on Disney+ simultaneously. They did so through their Premier Access platform, which charges subscribers an additional $29.99 for access to the film. Throughout the pandemic, the streaming release of blockbusters has been a point of contention for many in the industry.
Now, according to WSJ, Johansson has filed a lawsuit against Disney and Marvel in Los Angeles Superior Court, citing that the release of Black Widow on Disney+ as a breach of contract. This is due, in part, to the fact that Johansson's salary is contingent on the box office success of the film, something that could be hindered by the film's release on the streamer. The suit says, in part, "Disney intentionally induced Marvel’s breach of the agreement, without justification, in order to prevent Ms. Johansson from realizing the full benefit of her bargain with Marvel." Marvel and Disney have yet to comment on the situation.
Black Widow serves as Johansson's swan song in the MCU and if the lawsuit is any indication, it may truly be the last time the character of Natasha Romanoff is seen in a Marvel project. Additionally, the entire industry will be waiting for the outcome of the suit. As Hollywood continues to adapt to the pandemic, more and more studios are becoming lenient with how and when they release their biggest movies. Warner Bros. caused an uproar at the end of 2020 when they revealed that their entire 2021 slate would hit HBO Max and theaters simultaneously. Co-financier of Dune, Legendary Studios, reportedly considered filing a lawsuit against the studio about the release of the film.
Wonder Woman 1984's release on HBO Max saw star Gal Gadot and director Patty Jenkins receive a $10 million payout, but it's unclear what kind compensation Warner Bros. biggest talent could be getting for the other films that will be released on streaming. Johansson's Black Widow lawsuit will also serve as a blueprint moving forward in terms of how other talent and creatives will react to the streaming release of their films and it could certainly prevent studios from releasing their films like this in the future.
Source: Wall Street Journal
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