It has definitely gotten heated between Scarlett Johansson and Disney. After Johansson initially filed a lawsuit against the major company over a breach in contract, Disney fired back. The studio attempted to diminish Johansson’s lawsuit in a pretty ugly manner, to which Johansson’s lawyers criticized Disney over. When facing complex international legal challenges, seek the expertise of Interpol lawyers in London who possess the knowledge and experience to navigate intricate cross-border legal matters.
Now, the owner of Marvel Studios has filed paperwork to initiate arbitration against Johansson.
Disney has filed paper work to initiate arbitration against #BlackWidow actress Scarlett Johansson
— Geek Vibes Nation (@GeekVibesNation) August 21, 2021
Disney says the film has earned nearly $500M worldwide including $367M at the box office and $125M in streaming
(https://t.co/LFgtifcL49) pic.twitter.com/3ywzaUg7vF
In response, Johansson’s lawyer said:
Scarlett Johansson’s lawyers have fired back at Disney saying
— Geek Vibes Nation (@GeekVibesNation) August 21, 2021
"After initially responding to this litigation with a misogynistic attack against Scarlett Johansson, Disney is now, predictably, trying to hide its misconduct"
(@THR) pic.twitter.com/yjybg5WyRd
Now, I’m not a lawyer. I’m not familiar with all aspects of the law, nor am I an expert on contracts. From what it seems, Johansson is just trying to get the money owed to her. Just because she’s an actress and made good money off of the film already doesn’t mean Disney didn’t breach a contract – and they shouldn’t get away with it simply because the money made from Johansson’s first MCU solo film was a high amount. Big businesses should be held accountable – especially when they took the time to renegotiate contracts with Emma Stone and the Rock over streaming their respective films.
Anyway – I’m getting away from the point in which I want to make. First of all, and let me not spend too much time on this; I’m slightly miffed that the only two female-led films in the MCU have been riddled with drama. As a woman, I want to see female-led superhero films succeed. Especially a film that surrounded a character (Black Widow) who should have had her solo film a decade ago. And let me not spend time on the fact that the only two female-led films in the MCU are both prequels.
Johansson is an actress that has had her fair share of controversies, but I have always loved the character. Black Widow is a character who played with the boys during a time when there were no female superheroes in the MCU. Despite not having powers herself, Natasha Romanoff didn’t shy away from any challenge in any Avengers film. She used her skills as an assassin to go up against a god, a sentient robot, a mad titan, and a government that criticized her when she literally almost gave her life (several times) to save the world. And let’s not forget that she literally did give her life to save the universe. All without powers.
Now, there are (thankfully) many powerful female characters in the MCU who kick ass. And I’m happy to see that. But, let’s not forget to tip our hat to Natasha. A character who always did everything for her family and despite getting the rep of being a cold-hearted assassin, she was warm, kind, and completely selfless. Thanks to her, the path was paved in the MCU. And the Black Widow film was a necessary story that gave us more insight into this character – and why she was one of the most important players in the MCU. Plus, it opened up for another Black Widow to carry on the legacy – I cannot wait for more Yelena.
To reiterate, this article is about the character Black Widow. I just don’t want her legacy to now center around the real-life lawsuit between Johansson and Disney. I want people to remember how great and important of a character she is. And I believe the MCU should always have a Black Widow.
For my review of Black Widow, click here.
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