Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff in Black Widow. (Photo: Marvel Studios)

Well-known for playing Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney, the parent company of Marvel, for breach of contract. Black Widow, the movie, marks Scarlett’s first and perhaps last standalone film as Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow.  

According to the lawsuit, presented to the Los Angeles Superior Court, Scarlett alleges breach of contract by Disney with the simultaneous release of Black Widow in theatres and on the Disney+ streaming platform in the US. Scarlett’s lawsuit against Disney alleges the use of the actor's star power to promote Disney’s streaming platform, with the intention of increasing subscriptions, and taking on competitors such as Netflix.  

Black Widow’s hybrid release model is neither new nor unique. Disney opted for simultaneous streaming and theatrical releases for a number of its latest studio offerings, including Cruella, Mulan, and Raya and the Last Dragon. Disney’s recent release decisions are largely credited to a December 2020 announcement by Warner Brothers, declaring all of its 2021 movies will be released in theatres and on HBO Max simultaneously.  

Disney has aggressively responded to the actor’s lawsuit, saying in a public statement, “no merit whatsoever to this filing. The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Disney has 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 $20M she has received to date.” 

According to Disney, Johansson took home a paycheque of 20 million from Black Widow’s box office collections. Disney’s estimate perhaps does not account for any bonuses the actor would receive as a result of the film’s performance exceeding expectations. While Black Widow enjoyed a notable opening, the biggest of its kind in a pandemic, collections for the movie have slowed down since its release on 9th July. The actor takes issue with Disney’s limited theatrical release of Black Widow, with many theatres in the US and worldwide, remaining shut due to Covid restrictions.  

The Hollywood Reporter quotes the lawsuit saying, “Why would Disney forgo hundreds of millions of dollars in box office receipts by releasing the Picture in theatres at a time when it knew the theatrical market was ‘weak,’ rather than waiting a few months for that market to recover? On information and belief, the decision to do so was made at least in part because Disney saw the opportunity to promote its flagship subscription service using the Picture and Ms. Johansson, thereby attracting new paying monthly subscribers, retaining existing ones, and establishing Disney+ as a must-have service in an increasingly competitive marketplace,”. 

According to The Wallstreet Journal, Johansson stands to lose $50 million in bonuses owing to Disney’s hybrid release of Black Widow, as per sources close to the actress. A similar lawsuit brought against Warner Brothers, resulted in the studio having to pay close to $200 million to Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, Gal Gadot, and Will Smith.