Disney has been accused of carrying out a “gendered attack” on Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson as she sues the conglomerate for breach of contract.
Johansson has alleged that the simultaneous release of Black Widow on Disney Plus as well as in cinemas violated her contract. The actor’s lawsuit says that her compensation for the movie was “largely based” on Black Widow’s box office performance, and had “extracted a promise from Marvel that the release would be a ‘theatrical release’.’
The company’s reaction was widely criticised by industry experts and film critics. “I don’t care how rich Scarlett Johansson already is,” wrote journalist Tomris Laffly.
In response, Disney claimed the lawsuit was “especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the Covid-19 pandemic”.