Scarlett Johansson Praises “Positive Impact” Of ‘Black Widow’ Lawsuit: “It Feels Like Some Progress”

To say Scarlett Johansson has had a busy year would be an understatement. In 2021, she welcomed a son with husband Colin Jost; headlined the Marvel blockbuster Black Widow; and filed (and eventually resolved) a lawsuit against Disney. On Thursday, Johansson made one of her first public appearances since the lawsuit (at an American Cinematheque tribute in her honor), and stood by her decision.

“I feel very fortunate that I was able to stand up for what was right,” she told USA TODAY on the red carpet. “In the end, I’m really thankful that no one else will have to deal with [what I did], and so that feels good to me. … It feels like some progress.”

Johansson filed a suit against Marvel on July 29, arguing that Disney’s simultaneous streaming release of Black Widow to Disney+ Premier Access was a breach of her contract, and that the studio knowingly sacrificed the film’s box office potential to grow Disney+. The studio countered that there was no merit to the filing, disclosing that Johansson had already received $20 million at the time for her work on Black Widow. Their dispute ultimately came to a close in early October.

At Thursday’s event, Johansson emphasized the “positive impact” that her lawsuit has hopefully had on the industry, and hopefully “artists and creatives’ lives and livelihood.”

“I have had some of the best times of my career working for both of those studios,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. She added that she was “already in the thick of it” on projects like Disney’s upcoming Tower of Terror film, as well as “some other projects that we’re working on.”

While she didn’t say exactly what those other projects were, Feige teased that they’re collaborating on “another non-Black Widow-related top-secret Marvel Studios project with her as a producer.” ScarJo’s House of Mouse days live on!

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