Scarlet Johansson resolves differences with Disney

American actress, Scarlett Johansson and television network, Disney have finally resolved their differences. This is coming two months after the 36 year old filed a lawsuit against Disney over her compensation for Marvel’s Black Widow. 

In a statement, Johansson stated, 

“I am happy to have resolved our differences with Disney. I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done together over the years. And have greatly enjoyed my creative relationship with the team. I look forward to continuing our collaboration in years to come.”

Alan Bergman, the Chairman of Disney Studios Content, also stated, 

“I’m very pleased that we have been able to come to a mutual agreement with Scarlett Johansson regarding Black Widow. We appreciate her contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And look forward to working together on a number of upcoming projects, including Disney’s Tower of Terror.”

The Marvel star sued Disney in July. She accused the entertainment company of breaching her contract when it released this summer’s blockbuster Black Widow on its streaming service, Disney+, at the same time that it was released in movie theaters.

The award winning actress argued that her Black Widow contract was for a guaranteed exclusive movie theater release. And the bulk of her salary depending on the film’s box office performance. However it was released on Disney+ at the same time. According to her, this made the box office numbers smaller than they would have been otherwise. This therefore affected her earnings.

Black Widow came out on July 9 and earned more than $378 million worldwide. The movie was the star’s first standalone Avengers movie, since she starred in Iron Man 2, 10 years ago.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney had chosen to release some of its content on Disney+ so that viewers can watch new releases at home, as they could not really visit movie theaters.

Responding to the star’s lawsuit, a Disney spokesperson had said that there was “no merit whatsoever to this filing,” and even argued that Johansson could potentially earn even more due to the Disney+ release. The spokesperson had said, 

“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.”