Scarlett Johansson Says ‘I Don’t Hold a Grudge’ Against Disney After ‘Black Widow’ Legal Battle, Thinks OpenAI CEO Could Be a Marvel Villain: ‘Maybe With a Robotic Arm’

variety.com:

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Scarlett Johansson recently spoke to The New York Times and said she has no grudge against Disney after their legal battle over the release of her Marvel movie “Black Widow.” The two parties became legal adversaries when Disney opted to release “Black Widow” in theaters and on streaming via Disney+ Premier Access amid the pandemic in July 2021.

Johansson’s contract contained a stipulation that “Black Widow” be released exclusively in theaters, so she sued the studio as moving the film to Disney+ would result in forgoing millions of dollars in backend compensation. “I don’t hold a grudge,” Johansson said. “I think it was just poor judgment and poor leadership at that time.

It just felt very unprofessional to me, the entire ordeal. And honestly, I was incredibly disappointed, especially because I was holding out hope until, finally, my team was like, ‘You have to act.’” The legal battle was made all the more contentious after Disney responded to Johansson’s lawsuit by revealing her $20 million salary for “Black Widow” and slamming her “callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Johansson previously told Variety that she was “mostly sad” over the legal fight with Disney, adding: “It was such a surreal moment because we were all isolated and just sort of emerging a little bit.

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.