The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a behemoth franchise since it began with Iron Man. Fans have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. But there have been some speed bumps along the way, including Scarlett Johansson's lawsuit against Disney over the release of Black Widow. And now she's reflecting on that time, and calling out "poor leadership" from the studio. Let's break it all down.
ScarJo took Disney to court when they released Black Widow on Disney+ in the midst of the pandemic. Prior to its release, it was contracted that the upcoming Marvel movie would be available exclusively in theaters. Recently she spoke to The New York Times, clarifying that she doesn't hold a grudge against the studio. She explained what was going on at the time, offering:
I don’t hold a grudge. 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.
There you have it. While Johansson hasn't cut ties with the House of Mouse, she and her team felt obligated to take legal action when it came to Black Widow. After all, the solo flick had been a long time coming and no doubt took a great deal of time to shoot for the cast and crew. And if ScarJo was entitled to some of the box office earnings of the movie, releasing it in homes directly affected her paycheck.
The 39 year-old actress/producer claimed she isn't holding any grudges, and that's already been proven since the Black Widow legal situation played out. Case in point: Johansson is attached to a film adaptation of The Tower of Terror, so it's clear that she and Disney have managed to get back on good terms after the legal shakeup.
Black Widow's ending marked Scarlett Johansson's final appearance in the MCU, as her contract was officially up. But some fans are still hoping she might return sometime in the future, despite Natasha's death in Avengers: Endgame. There were some rumors that the original Avengers might be back for a future project, but there's been no official news on that front. Although with The Russo Brothers circling two more Avengers flicks, maybe that'll open the door for folks like ScarJo and Robert Downey Jr. to reprise their roles, despite their onscreen deaths.
The next Marvel movie hitting theaters is Deadpool & Wolverine on July 26th. While fans not so patiently wait, check the 2025 movie release dates to plan your trips to the theater in the New Year.
