Black Widow: Scarlett Johansson and Disney Settle Lawsuit

Walt Disney and Scarlett Johansson have reached an agreement in their legal battle over the release of the Marvel superhero film ‘Black Widow’ brought against the studio in July.

Alan Bergman, content chairman for Disney Studios, said in a statement, “I’m very pleased that we have been able to come to a mutual agreement with Scarlett Johansson regarding ‘Black Widow.’ He added, “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.’”

According to the explosive lawsuit, Disney violated Johansson’s contract by releasing “Black Widow” on its streaming service Disney+ at the same time it was launched in theatres.

“I am happy to have resolved our differences with Disney,” Johansson said in a statement. “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.”

Lawyers for Johansson and Disney spent months slinging insults at one another. Disney accused the actor of “callous disregard” for the dangers of Covid-19 to moviegoers and stated publicly that she had already paid $20 million for the movie.

According to Johansson’s lawyers, Disney’s comments were, “an attempt to make her appear to be someone they and I know she isn’t.”

The squabble prompted Jamie Lee Curtis, Blumhouse’s Jason Blum, and Marvel’s own “WandaVision” star Elizabeth Olsen to defend Johansson. In a public statement on Friday, the head of the Screen Actors Guild condemned Disney for “bullying” Johansson.

While it is unclear how much Johansson was paid in the settlement, the actress appears to be eager to put the lawsuit behind her. Johansson is anticipated to collaborate with Disney on the next “Tower of Terror” revival, which is based on one of Disney’s most popular routes.