Marvel Studios’ latest superhero film is becoming a bigger headache than its parent company could have ever anticipated. Following the immense controversy derived from Disney’s decision to release Black Widow on its streaming service at the same time as its theatrical debut, star Scarlett Johansson is now suing the entertainment giant, alleging that her contract was breached. Supposedly, Disney released the film on its streaming service despite promising Johansson that her film would be guaranteed an exclusive theatrical release, which hurt her potential profits (“her salary was based in large part on the box-office performance of the film”). The legal battle suggests that Black Widow is definitely the last time audiences will see Johansson as Natasha Romanoff.
“Disney intentionally induced Marvel’s breach of the agreement, without justification, in order to prevent Ms. Johansson from realizing the full benefit of her bargain with Marvel,” the suit said. Disney couldn’t be reached immediately for comment.
Source: The Wall Street Journal