Scarlett Johansson sues Disney as she retires from the MCU as Black Widow. Could this strain mean we won’t be seeing more of her in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
The 36-year-old star said in an interview that she feels “really satisfied with this film.”
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“It feels like a great way to go out for this chapter of my Marvel identity,” she added. She would, however, be open to reprising the role; “I would love to be able to continue to collaborate with Marvel in other ways because I think there`s just an incredible wealth of stories there. Re-imagining this genre is something that I find very interesting,” The two-time Academy Award nominee said, “I think there`s a lot of opportunities to tell these stories in different ways than audiences have come to expect.”
However, this was before she sued Disney for the release of the movie simultaneously on their streaming platform, Disney+, along with movie theatres.
That may be problematic as many actors get paid twice, their second cheque depending on the movie’s box office performance. The movie being released on the streaming platforms not only takes an estimated $50 million away from the actress, according to the Wall Street Journal, it also is allegedly against the contract.
A Disney spokesman, addressing the lawsuit with media representatives, said that Johansson’s suit had no merit and that it was “especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.” The studio said that it “fully complied with Ms. Johansson’s contract and furthermore, the release of Black Widow on Disney+ with Premier Access has significantly enhanced her ability to earn additional compensation on top of the $20 million she has received to date.”
Scarlett Johansson isn’t the first big star to push back against studios’ efforts to send the biggest-budget movies straight to streaming. The New York Times reported that while Gadot and Jenkins were able to negotiate $10 million pay-outs with Warner Bros. before the switch to streaming for Wonder Woman 1984 was even announced, other creatives weren’t as fortunate.
Kicking off Phase Four of the MCU, Black Widow takes place following the events of 2016`s Captain America: Civil War and circles Natasha Romanoff as she comes to terms with her complex past. Black Widow is currently in theatres and streaming on Disney+. However, it is yet to reach India. Her character perished later in the storyline in Avengers: Endgame as she sacrifices her life for the soul stone.
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