Scarlett Johansson Suing Disney For Streaming Black Widow

Black Widow has been the focus of controversy. Theater owners sent a scathing letter to Disney, blaming them for bombing box office numbers. The film is available for streaming on Disney+, the company’s streaming platform, and that is now the focus of a lawsuit.

Scarlett Johansson, who already confirmed she will not return to reprice the Black Widow role, is now suing Disney. This is over the company streaming her Black Widow spin-off in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Johansson is suing Disney according to TMZ. The claim is that streaming Black Widow violated the terms of her deal, and she wants to get paid. Those legal documents are quite serious and could have been the root to her not returning for another run as Black Widow.

Scarlett says her salary was tied to how well the film performed at the box office. But, the actress claims, releasing the film on Disney+ meant fewer butts in movie theaters … which cut into her backend.

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The Disney+ streaming platform was not designed to air films at the same time that they run in theaters. This was a consideration they made during the pandemic. It was not in Johansson’s contract, and she is taking them to court over it.

Other stars have been upset about losing backend money that they would have normally received from box office numbers. Black Widow had a bit of a run in theaters, but that money quickly dwindled.

The film grossed $80 million in domestic box office during its opening weekend. It then grossed $78 million overseas and it pulled in $60 million from home purchases on the Disney+ streaming platform.

It was not reported how much Scarlett Johansson is seeking. Obviously, this is a still developing story.

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