Skip to main content

The controversy between Scarlett Johansson and the Walt Disney Company is no more. After a couple of months, the actor and the media giant came to a settlement over Johansson’s Black Widow lawsuit regarding earnings from the Disney+ release of the film. And now that all is well between Johansson and Disney, should the fans be a little bit more hopeful that Natasha Romanoff will be seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe again? Well, the answer is not very cut and dry.

Scarlett Johansson attends 'Avengers: Endgame' premiere wearing a strapless gold, sparkly dress.
Scarlett Johansson | Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

Scarlett Johansson and Disney settle lawsuit over the Disney+ release of ‘Black Widow’

The lawsuit over the Disney+ release of Black Widow was filed by Scarlett Johansson and her lawyers back in July. It stated, “In the months leading up to this lawsuit, Ms. Johansson gave Disney and Marvel every opportunity to right their wrong and make good on Marvel’s promise. 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.”

Since then, Johansson and her lawyers and Disney executives have released statements regarding the matter. And some of Johansson’s co-stars have spoken on the subject as well. But, finally, on Sept. 30, the two sides announced that they had come to an agreement. And the battle is now over.

The details of the settlement and how much money Scarlett Johansson received in the deal are unknown.

Scarlett Johansson’s statement alludes to continued partnership with Disney

Per HuffPost, Scarlett Johansson released a statement along with the news that she and Disney had come to an agreement regarding her Black Widow lawsuit. She said, “I am happy to have resolved our differences with Disney. I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done together over the years and have greatly enjoyed my creative relationship with the team. I look forward to continuing our collaboration.”

Alan Bergman, chairman of Disney Studios Content, also released a statement regarding the settlement. Bergman said he is “pleased that we have been able to come to a mutual agreement. We appreciate her contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and look forward to working together on a number of upcoming projects.”

Of course, Disney is a huge company that owns multiple studios. But we can’t help but hope that their new agreement includes more MCU projects in Scarlett Johansson’s future. She stated in the past that she has no plans to play Natasha again, but Marvel has taught us to trust no one. And anything is possible in the MCU, even if your character is technically dead.

Related

Elizabeth Olsen Picks Sides in Scarlett Johansson Disney Lawsuit

What was Natasha Romanoff’s fate?

Scarlett Johansson has played Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, since Iron Man 2 in 2010. Since then, Natasha has been one of the essential characters in the MCU. She was one of the six original Avengers, and she has saved the world plenty of times.

In Avengers: Endgame, Natasha sacrificed herself so that Clint could receive the Soul Stone. It was a heartbreaking scene, to say the least, but it was also one of the most memorable. Her sacrifice ensured that the Avengers would be able to bring back half of the universe’s population and defeat Thanos once and for all.

Thankfully, fans got to see Scarlett Johansson play Natasha again in Black Widow. The MCU film was Natasha’s first solo outing and showed what she was up to between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War.

Black Widow is now available to purchase on Blu-ray and Digital. It will be free for all Disney+ subscribers on Oct. 6.

Best in Entertainment