Disney Co.'s Covid excuse in Scarlett Johansson lawsuit is darkly comical and clearly flawed

Just because Scarlett Johansson is rich doesn’t make her the villain in her case against the Walt Disney Co. In fact, if the allegations in her lawsuit are correct, she’s absolutely right to push back in court. Yet Disney, ever adept at storytelling and images, has tried to paint her as selfish and money-grubbing for trying to hold them to the deal she believes they made with her.

Whether someone is making $20 million per movie or $20 per hour, a deal is a deal. One party cannot breach a contract and then claim it’s OK because the injured party is rich.

According to a lawsuit Johansson filed against Disney, her compensation for her starring role in Marvel Studio’s new film “Black Widow” was to be based largely on “box office” receipts. Marvel, a subsidiary of Disney, also allegedly promised a “theatrical release,” which Johansson says meant a release exclusive to movie theaters.

Johansson claims Disney knew about these promises, but still directed Marvel to release “Black Widow” on the Disney+ streaming service the same day it was released in movie theaters. Disney’s press release noted that the movie grossed more than $60 million on Disney+ Premier Access in its first weekend alone.

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