Industry insider Matthew Belloni says Shang-Chi’s success helped Scarlett Johansson win her lawsuit against Disney over Black Widow’s release.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘ box office success may have indirectly helped Scarlett Johansson’s cause in winning her lawsuit against Disney over the release of Black Widow. Marvel Studios was poised to kick off MCU Phase 4 with the Cate Shortland-directed flick starring Johansson as Natasha Romanoff, but it was pushed back several times due to the coronavirus pandemic. By the time it was rolled out, Black Widow had a hybrid release instead of an exclusive theatrical debut, releasing simultaneously on Disney+ with Premier Access. This caused a commotion as Johansson subsequently sued Disney for loss of potential earnings.
The public eventually became engrossed in the matter as Disney’s offical comments in response to Johansson’s lawsuit were viewed by many as too harsh, and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige reportedly became frustrated at the controversy. This didn’t help the House of Mouse’s cause, as fans and fellow actors voiced support for Johansson’s stance. Meanwhile, Johansson’s bold move supposedly inspired others to push back against this divisive hybrid release strategy, including Emma Stone, star of Disney’s Cruella. More recently, Disney and Johansson found a middle ground, and while not all of the specifics of the new terms have been released, a new report claims that MCU’s latest blockbuster success aided Johansson in the outcome of the lawsuit.
Comment