Scarlett Johansson "Shocked" by Disney's Response to 'Black Widow' Lawsuit

Scarlett Johansson was reportedly taken aback by Disney‘s response to the ongoing lawsuit involving Black Widow, the actress’ representatives told The Wrap.

The Marvel staple’s team shared that she was “shocked by the tone” of Disney’s statement, which claimed that Johansson’s lawsuit was “especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.” The entertainment conglomerate also revealed that she earned $20 million USD from the franchise and that “the release of Black Widow on Disney+ with Premier Access has significantly enhanced her ability to earn additional compensation.”

Johansson’s agent, Bryan Lourd, also previously issued his own statement in regards to the matter, alleging that Disney is “shamelessly and falsely accus[ing] Ms. Johansson of being insensitive to the global COVID pandemic, in an attempt to make her appear to be someone they and I know she isn’t.”

“The company included her salary in their press statement in an attempt to weaponize her success as an artist and businesswoman, as if that were something she should be ashamed of,” the statement continued. “They have very deliberately moved the revenue stream and profits to the Disney+ side of the company leaving artistic and financial partners out of their new equation… Disney’s direct attack on her character and all else they implied is beneath the company that many of us in the creative community have worked with successfully for decades.”

Johansson filed a lawsuit against Disney in late July, claiming that her contract with Disney’s Marvel Entertainment promised an exclusive theatrical release, and that her salary was largely based on the film’s performance at the box office.

Elsewhere in entertainment, take a first look at Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings TV series, which also received an official premiere date.