Disney Is Officially Back in Scarlett Johansson’s Good Graces
Scarlett Johannson has won her bravest battle yet since taking on the role of Black Widow: a lawsuit filed against Disney, the distributor behind her character’s eponymous Marvel film. “I am happy to have resolved our differences,” the 36-year-old actor said in a statement on Thursday, two months after suing the entertainment behemoth for breaching her contract. Terms were not disclosed, but odds are it’s all great news for Johannson’s bank account: In exchange for the box office earnings she claimed to have lost from Black Widow’s simultaneous release via streaming, Johansson had originally—and vociferously—demanded $50 million.
Clearly, whatever dollar amount and terms they reached was satisfactory enough for Disney to land itself back in Johansson’s good graces. “I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done together over the years and have greatly enjoyed my creative relationship with the team,” Johansson continued. “I look forward to continuing our collaboration in years to come.” Alan Bergman, chairman of Disney Studios Content, was equally eager to emphasize the company’s enthusiasm for continuing their professional relationship: “We appreciate her contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and look forward to working together on a number of upcoming projects.” It’s quite the change in tone from Disney’s last statement on the matter: In response to the suit in late July, a spokesperson accused Johansson of “callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Her Black Widow days may be no more, but Johansson’s role in Tower of Terror, Disney’s upcoming film adaptation of the titular Walt Disney World ride, is now fully official. (Which no doubt means Johansson is about to get another fat paycheck: Disney has stated that it paid her $20 million upfront for Black Widow.) Meanwhile, Johansson continues to make the case that she has the range, though this time much less controversially than in the past. She’s next set to appear in the latest Wes Anderson film, marking her live-action entry into the director’s picturesque and consequence-free cinematic universe.
