Scarlett Johansson has final say on Disney lawsuit

Black Widow
(Image credit: Disney/Marvel)

Scarlett Johansson has shared her thoughts on her lawsuit with Disney. The actor sued the studio after the simultaneous Disney Plus Premier Access and theatrical release of Black Widow, which she claimed violated her contract. 

"There is no merit whatsoever to this filing," said Disney in a statement at the time, which also made reference to Johansson's $20 million salary. "The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the Covid-19 pandemic."

"I was sad and disappointed. But mostly sad," Johansson told Variety of her experience and Disney's statement. "It was such a surreal moment because we were all isolated and just sort of emerging a little bit. I was also really heavily pregnant, too, which in a weird way was amazing timing. Suddenly, your entire attention is drawn to this miracle of life. So, I had the most wonderful distraction in the world and soon after had a beautiful baby."

Johansson and Disney ultimately settled the lawsuit, though terms of the deal have never been disclosed. The actor is still attached to Disney's upcoming Tower of Terror movie, which Variety reports will be directed by Taika Waititi. 

"I couldn't even walk through a restaurant without somebody saying, 'Good for you. Stand up for yourself,'" Johansson added. "I could see that it had a bigger impact. I got support from strangers that have no skin in the game at all."

Johansson can next be seen in Wes Anderson's Asteroid City, which gets a wide release this June 23. In the meantime, check out our guide to all of 2023's major movie release dates for everything else the year has in store. 

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Molly Edwards
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.