“I was sad and disappointed”: Scarlett Johansson opens up about her $40M Disney lawsuit

Scarlett Johansson has played a huge part in the rise of the MCU ever since she debuted in Iron Man 2. But after a decade of fans clamoring about a Black Widow movie, Marvel finally gave it the greenlit to be released as the first film of Phase 4 in 2020.

However, COVID struck right before its release and pushed the film by a whole year. Disney also decided to give Black Widow a simultaneous Disney+ release (for a $30 premium fee) along with its theatrical release.

As a result, the box office numbers of Black Widow dropped, and Scarlett Johansson, also a producer on the film, didn’t get anything out of the Disney+ Premier Access fee that the studio earned. So, she stood up for herself during tough times and won a lawsuit against the Mouse House.

Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow (Image via Marvel)

Now, she has finally opened up about it two years later as she told Variety that she was saddened by Disney's response to the lawsuit. She said:

“I was sad and disappointed. But mostly sad, it was such a surreal moment because we were all isolated and just sort of emerging a little bit.”

It was a tough period for Johansson as COVID was still changing the world, and she was also expecting a baby.

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Scarlett Johansson elaborates on her struggles during the lawsuit

Scarlett Johansson vs. Disney (Image via Disney)

Disney issued a statement claiming that the Black Widow star had no regard for the COVID-19 pandemic's effects on the industry. Disappointed with this response, Johansson decided to distract herself from the lawsuit with her upcoming baby.

She further told Variety:

"I was also really heavily pregnant, too, which in a weird way was amazing timing. Suddenly, your entire attention is drawn to this miracle of life. So, I had the most wonderful distraction in the world and soon after had a beautiful baby.”

Johansson continued to explain how other people in the industry supported her. She said:

“I couldn’t even walk through a restaurant without somebody saying, ‘Good for you. Stand up for yourself. I could see that it had a bigger impact. I got support from strangers that have no skin in the game at all.”

Ultimately, all her efforts worked in her favor as she got paid upwards of $40 million that Disney owed her from Black Widow’s Disney+ Premier Access earnings.

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Will Scarlett Johansson return as Black Widow?

Will Black Widow return in Avengers: Secret Wars? (Image via Marvel)

The former Black Widow actress is currently looking forward to taking on newer opportunities, such as her upcoming film, Asteroid City. When asked about returning as Black Widow during a conversation on The Goop Podcast, she simply replied that the Black Widow chapter of her life is now over. She said:

"I’m done. Yes, I’m done…Chapter is over. I did all that I had to do. Also, coming back and playing a character again and again like that, over a decade of time, is such a unique experience."

Natasha Romanoff died in the MCU. So, it’s unlikely for her character to return in any of Earth-616’s stories. Hence, we should consider Scarlett Johansson’s retirement legit. But despite that, she may or may not make a cameo in Avengers: Secret Wars if other OG Avengers also return in the film.

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Avengers: Secret Wars hits theaters on May 1, 2026.