Every Way Scarlet Johanssons Black Widow Lawsuit Has Impacted Disney & MCU

Every Way Scarlet Johansson’s Black Widow Lawsuit Has Impacted Disney & MCU

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Since the filing of Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit in August, several key developments have arisen across both Disney and the MCU.

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Every Way Scarlet Johanssons Black Widow Lawsuit Has Impacted Disney & MCU

Star of Black Widow Scarlett Johansson’s recent lawsuit against Disney has incited a ripple effect impacting both Disney and the MCU. The actor made headlines several weeks after the movie’s release when she filed a lawsuit against Disney, alleging a breach of contract related to the Black Widow’s concurrent release in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access. The lawsuit states that Disney violated Johansson’s contract when it opted for Black Widow’s same-day streaming debut after guaranteeing its exclusive theatrical release. Disney also failed to renegotiate Johannson’s earnings for the film, which were largely structured around its box office performance.

Since the initial filing in late July, Disney has fired back, denying the suit’s merit and accusing Johansson of “callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Disney has also attempted to move the case to closed-door arbitration. The Natasha Romanoff actor’s legal team labeled the company’s response “a misogynistic attack,” blasting Disney for allegedly shortchanging Johansson of $50 million.

As Johansson’s legal battle with Disney persists, the film world has already reacted in a variety of ways. Many, including fellow Marvel actor Elizabeth Olsen, have voiced their support for the actor, while Marvel Studios’ president Kevin Feige is said to be “angry and embarrassed” over Disney’s management of the situation. Here’s every major development resulting from Johannson’s lawsuit.

Emma Stone’s Cruella Return

Every Way Scarlet Johanssons Black Widow Lawsuit Has Impacted Disney & MCU

Amid reports of Emma Stone considering filing a lawsuit of her own against Disney regarding the streaming release of Cruella, it was later confirmed that the actor had reached a deal to return for a sequel. The details of Disney’s negotiations with Stone for her live-action reprisal of Cruella de Vil are unknown, but the deal’s Executive Chairman of Endeavor Patrick Whitesell stated, “This agreement demonstrates that there can be an equitable path forward that protects artists and aligns studios’ interests with talent.” At this time, no information has been made public indicating a release date or potential strategy for Cruella 2, but Disney’s securing of the deal bodes well for the studio’s relationships with its actors going forward. On the other hand, Stone’s return reflects heightened leverage on her part likely meaning that Stone was able to use Johansson’s lawsuit to her advantage in her Cruella 2 deal. As a result, Disney will have a much harder time getting the upper hand over its stars in future projects.

Emily Blunt To Return For Jungle Cruise Sequel

Every Way Scarlet Johanssons Black Widow Lawsuit Has Impacted Disney & MCU

Similar to Stone, Emily Blunt reportedly weighed her legal options in relation to Jungle Cruise, as the Disney movie was also released via streaming concurrently with its theatrical debut but, as it turns out, the actor is set to return alongside Dwyane Johnson in the movie’s sequel. Blunt’s pandemic-era projects also include A Quiet Place Part II, a film which she and director/co-star John Krasinski pushed for a delayed theatrical release rather than a simultaneous Paramount+ debut. The pair pursued legal action against Paramount due to the film’s shortened release window. Blunt’s overt release strategy preferences imply that her agreement to appear in Jungle Cruise 2 entailed some assertive negotiating on the part of the actor. With both the recent events of Johansson’s contestation and Stone’s agreement with Disney, Blunt has likely set herself up to maximize her profits from Jungle Cruise 2.

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Russo Bros. Hesitant To Direct Another MCU Film

Every Way Scarlet Johanssons Black Widow Lawsuit Has Impacted Disney & MCU

Arguably the biggest bombshell following the news of Johansson’s lawsuit dropped when the directors of both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Joe and Anthony Russo, were reported as averse to working on future Marvel projects as a result of the tension generated by the suit. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Russo brothers had been slated to direct a future Marvel film before the talks came to a halt due to the pair’s concern over Disney’s release strategy for the title. Marvel projects generally have no difficulty attracting top-notch directors, but the news of the Russo brothers’ refusal to direct another MCU project comes amid masses of well-known directors affirming their stance against same-day streaming releases for their films. This recent development could spark even more filmmakers walking away from Disney and the MCU if hybrid releases persist.

Bob Chapek and Disney Double Down

Every Way Scarlet Johanssons Black Widow Lawsuit Has Impacted Disney & MCU

Disney CEO Bob Chapek has embroiled himself in controversy as of late. In addition to drawing the ire of some MCU fans when he referred Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ exclusive theatrical release as an “interesting experiment,” Chapek defended Black Widow’s same-day streaming debut, stating, “Bob Iger and I, along with the distribution team, determined this was the right strategy to enable us to reach the broadest possible audience.” Although refusing to mention Johansson by name, Chapek fell in line with Disney’s denial of any mishandling of the actor’s Black Widow contract, claiming, “We’ve figured out ways to fairly compensate our talent and since Covid has begun we have entered into hundreds of talent arrangements with our talent and by and large they have gone very, very smoothly.” Chapek’s doubling-down paired with Disney’s at-large defiant response to Johansson’s claims show no indication of the conflict resolving itself easily. Accordingly, the Black Widow actor’s lawsuit is primed to evoke any number of changes in Disney and the MCU going forward.

Disney’s Reputation Suffers

Every Way Scarlet Johanssons Black Widow Lawsuit Has Impacted Disney & MCU

The public opinion on Johansson’s lawsuit against Disney has shifted heavily in favor of the Black Widow actor. A day after the news of the lawsuit broke, Women in Film, ReFrame, and Time’s Up joined together in support of Johansson, slamming Disney’s response as a “gendered character attack” on the actor. Olsen was the first high-profile talent to speak on the matter, as she declared her support for her MCU costar. “I think she’s so tough and literally when I read that I was like, ‘Good for you Scarlett,'” the WandaVision star said during a Vanity Fair conversation with Jason Sudeikis. Following Olsen, Benedict Cumberbatch commented on Johansson’s legal battle, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “The whole thing’s just a bit of a mess. We’re trying to understand what the revenue streams should be for artists that contribute to the billion-dollar business that is Disney. And it has to be contractualized.” While Cumberbatch held back from explicitly backing Johansson, the Doctor Strange star’s comments reflect the widespread disappointment with Disney for its failure to properly manage the situation. Regardless of the case’s outcome, Disney has taken a significant blow to its reputation. Not even a win in court would remedy the significant backlash the studio has faced from numerous influential entities in the film industry.

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MCU’s Release Strategy Changes

Following Black Widow’s controversial hybrid release resulted in Johansson’s lawsuit, Disney has opted for a different approach for the MCU’s subsequent titles. Instead of a concurrent debut in theaters and on Disney+, the studio elected to release Shang-Chi exclusively in theaters for a 45-day window before the film moves to the streaming platform. Shang-Chi’s resounding box-office success, which included setting a new Labor Day weekend record, enabled Disney to stick to theatrical-exclusive releases for all six movies remaining on its 2021 slate – which includes Marvel’s Eternals, slated to debut on November 5. While the impact of Johansson’s lawsuit on Disney’s change of strategy is merely speculative, a reasonable assumption could infer that the studio was keen on avoiding further streaming-related conflicts with its high-profile talent. It remains to be seen whether or not Disney’s turmoil will be a thing of the past or if another star will take the studio to court.

Next: Every Disney+ Release Controversy: Black Widow, Pixar, Cruella & More

Madeline Lapreziosa is a TV/Movies Features Writer for Screen Rant. She currently attends Penn State University, pursuing degrees in print/digital journalism and French. She has extensively covered both sports and entertainment for Penn State’s student-run newspaper The Daily Collegian. Outside of her love for TV and films, Madeline enjoys reading and watching soccer. Her all-time favorite works of fiction are The Expanse, The Hunger Games, and Game of Thrones.

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