Scarlett Johansson looks back on her Disney lawsuit over the release of Black Widow, which was originally slated for a theatrical bow. Disney pivoted to a simultaneous streaming and theatrical release for the film after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting legal action from Johansson, who was reportedly awarded $40 million in a settlement.
Four years after the lawsuit, Johansson speaks with The Telegraph about the experience, revealing that she would have valued support from her colleagues in Hollywood during that time. “I mean, it would be great to have more support from the community and my peers – vocally, publicly – on certain issues that affect the entire industry,” the actor says. “It’s always helpful to have more voices, you guys!”
Johansson's lawsuit was spurred by the streaming release threatening her bonus tied to Black Widow's box office performance. The filming landing on Disney+ the same day it released in theaters obviously jeopardized this bonus, which had been written into her contract.
Though Johansson would have liked more support from her peers, she does concede that even speaking out alone “can still be really effective." As the star explains, the last-minute release pivot totally upended existing systems in Hollywood, and it was important to her to push for change:
“As we moved from the model of theatrical box-office bonuses to understanding how that translated to streaming, it had just become this nebulous thing, with no guidelines around it. So to be able to impact that moves everything in the right direction. But yes, I would welcome more support.”
The COVID-19 pandemic closed many movie theaters and left moviegoers feeling uneasy about going to the ones that remained open, prompting Disney to adopt the day-and-date strategy for Black Widow. The movie ended up grossing $379 million worldwide at the box office, an extremely soft result given its estimated $200 million budget.
Directed by Cate Shortland, the film follows Natasha Romanoff as she confronts her past and reconnects with old family members. Generally, it fared well with critics. Black Widow reviews praised Johansson's commanding lead performance, as well as the performances from MCU newcomers Florence Pugh and David Harbour.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Black Widow enjoys a 79% critics' score and a glowing 91% Popcornmeter. Despite the legal drama surrounding the release, then, Johansson's final outing as Romanoff was generally well-received.
Simultaneous streaming and theatrical releases are essentially a thing of the past now, with Marvel opting for exclusive theatrical windows before the films then move to Disney+ weeks or months later. Though the heyday of the MCU is over, with new installments generally earning less than they would have pre-pandemic, there are some notable releases on the horizon.
The biggest upcoming MCU titles are Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, releasing December 18, 2026, and December 17, 2027, respectively. These films are expected to bring back a number of familiar faces from the MCU's past, but Johansson has been adamant that her time as Black Widow is officially over, casting doubt on her return as Romanoff.
