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Scarlett Johansson Criticizes Disney's Handling of Black Widow Legal Dispute; Says THIS
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Scarlett Johansson revisited the 2021 lawsuit against Disney. However, it appears that all issues have been resolved, and there's no grudge
Scarlett Johansson and Disney's much-publicized legal battle over the release plan for 2021's Black Widow seems to be over. Even though Johansson's character Natasha Romanoff finally got her own solo film within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the actress's lawsuit against the studio overshadowed the joyous occasion. Thankfully, it appears that the issue has been settled amicably, and Johansson says she doesn't feel bad for Disney.
Scarlett Johansson blamed Disney for how Black Widow was handled
In an interview with The New York Times, Scarlett Johansson discussed her 2021 legal dispute with Disney over the release strategy for Black Widow. When the film was released during the pandemic, theaters weren't playing at full capacity, which forced the studios to look for other ways to make money.
Disney decided against following Johansson's contract, which called for an exclusive theatrical release, and instead chose a dual release, releasing the movie both in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access.
This decision led to Johansson suing Disney, resulting in some harsh comments from the studio towards the actress. Despite this, Johansson has expressed that she has moved past the incident:
"I don't hold a grudge. 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 situation, while initially tumultuous, has concluded with Johansson acknowledging that it was a matter of poor decision-making and leadership on Disney's part.
Black Widow grossed USD 379.7 million at the worldwide box office, a decent amount considering its $200 million budget.
Scarlett Johansson thinks OpenAI CEO could be a Marvel villain
Recently, Scarlett Johansson found herself embroiled in an AI-related controversy beyond her ongoing Disney lawsuit. She disclosed that Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, approached her in September 2023 with an offer to voice the ChatGPT 4.0 system. Known for her role as the voice of an AI in the 2013 film Her, Johansson declined the proposal. However, she later discovered that the new assistant, "Sky," bore a striking resemblance to her voice.
In the interview with The New York Times, Johansson shared that she had “actively avoided being a part of the [AI] conversation, which was what made it so disturbing. She kept wondering how she got wrapped up in this?’ It was crazy and she was so angry. When asked about Altman potentially being a good Marvel villain, she responded that "he would – maybe with a robotic arm."
It sounds like Scarlett Johansson made a decision to decline an initial offer from OpenAI due to concerns about privacy and its alignment with her personal values. She expressed that she didn't want to be heavily involved in the situation and emphasized her preference for discretion and privacy. Johansson emphasized her dedication to upholding boundaries, particularly for the sake of her children, by mentioning that she only discussed the offer with her husband and kept it confidential.
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