Scarlett Johansson Reflects On Lawsuit With Disney And Says She Doesn’t Hold A Grudge

Scarlett Johansson has reflected on her high-profile lawsuit against Disney over the MCU movie Black Widow, saying she does not hold a grudge regarding how it all went down. That’s no surprise, after all, as Johansson remains in business with Disney and is producing more content for the company.

As a refresher, Johansson’s team sued Disney over the company’s decision to release Black Widow through the Disney+ Premier Access program during the COVID-19 pandemic in July 2021. Johansson’s deal with Disney was for the film to be released exclusively in theaters, and when it wasn’t, her lawyers argued she was missing out on potentially millions of dollars in backend compensation. Black Widow was released in theaters alongside its Disney+ debut, but it was not a theatrical-exclusive release.

“I don’t hold a grudge,” Johansson told The New York Times, as reported by Variety. “I think it was just poor judgment and poor leadership at that time. It just felt very unprofessional to me, the entire ordeal. And honestly, I was incredibly disappointed, especially because I was holding out hope until, finally, my team was like, ‘You have to act.'”

Disney responded to Johansson’s lawsuit by saying there was “no merit whatsoever” to Johansson’s claims, going on to say said her decision to sue was “especially sad and distressing in its callous regard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Even more, Disney’s statement revealed Johansson’s salary for Black Widow, which was said to be $20 million.

The two sides eventually settled, with Johansson receiving a payout in the area of $40 million, according to Deadline. At the time, Johansson said she looked forward to continuing to work with Disney for years to come on other projects. Johansson is reportedly set to star in and produce Disney’s upcoming Tower of Terror movie.

Don’t expect Johansson to suit up as Black Widow again anytime soon, though, as she recently said she is “done” with Marvel after saying making The Avengers felt like a “sausage party.” She has said it would take a miracle for her to come back to Marvel.

Meanwhile, The Avengers 5 is in the works and could feature 60 different MCU characters.