Scarlett Johansson’s Interview with Variety

Ashley Park

In a recent interview with Variety, Marvel actress Scarlett Johansson revisited the details of her 2021 lawsuit with Disney. Johansson went into depth on multiple topics, such as her history as a child actress, her love of Disney that spans decades, and her feelings regarding the closed chapter in her life as Black Widow.

To give more background on the case in question, another installment of the Marvel universe was released. Black Widow shines a spotlight on the history of Natasha Romanoff before her introduction to the Avengers. Working with Marvel films and embodying the role of Natasha since Iron Man 2 (2010), Black Widow was Johansson’s first and only opportunity to be the main protagonist within the franchise. Unbeknownst to the actress, the studio released Black Widow on the on-demand streaming platform Disney+ the same day of its release in theaters. This being the case, Johansson filed a lawsuit against the studio on the grounds of contract infringement, claiming that this damaged her salary, which relied heavily on box office numbers. Her $20 million salary was later revealed by former Disney CEO Bob Chapek, which caused legal tensions to surge. In October that same year, Johansson and Disney established a settlement agreement, which was not entirely disclosed but effectively wrapped up the case.

During the interview, Johansson expressed, “It was such a surreal moment because we were all isolated and just sort of emerging a little bit. I was also really heavily pregnant, which in a weird way was amazing timing. Suddenly, your entire attention is drawn to this miracle of life. So, I had the most wonderful distraction in the world and soon after had a beautiful baby.” Not long after filing the lawsuit, Johansson gave birth to her son. Upon reflection on the whole situation, her sentimentally-founded love of Disney remains unfazed, and she even went on to share that her enjoyment would continue in the future for her and her family.