When Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit against Disney first hit the headlines, the actress’ representatives estimated that sending Black Widow to Disney Plus Premier Access the same day it hit theaters had caused the star to lose out on roughly $50 million in profit participation clauses and box office milestone bonuses.
While the two-time Academy Award nominee was paid the not-inconsiderable sum of $20 million upfront for starring and executive producing the Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster, the majority of the franchise’s biggest stars make most of their money on the back-end, which was the entire reason legal action was pursued in the first place.
Yesterday brought the news that not only had a settlement been reached, but Johansson’s Tower of Terror movie is still on track, meaning that apologies must have been issued and fences mended. According to Deadline, a hefty $40 million payout was the end result, which is certainly a figure that would have sent both parties home happy.
After all, names like Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans had all rinsed Disney and Marvel for at least that figure for a single film in the past, but the Black Widow handout reportedly won’t be paid in a single installment. Things threatened to get messy for a while, but the Mouse House and Johansson have finally resolved their differences, and her bank balance is set for a dramatic increase as a result.