Back in 2020, when we were all still holed up on our couches, Marvel's Black Widow arrived on Disney+ instead of in theaters. Famously, Scarlett Johansson took Disney to court over it all, because she had been promised (and deserved, tbh) that the movie would hit theaters. In a new interview with Variety, Johansson talked about how the lawsuit affected her — and earned her a legion of supporters — and how even with that battle against her boss, she's still (and always will be) a Disney Adult. No hard feelings.
“I was sad and disappointed. But mostly sad,” Johansson said of the legal battle and Disney brass bragging about how Black Widow's Disney+ premiere generated $60 million in Disney+ Premier Access sales. She did note that she was in a very specific mental state, however, since she was pregnant when it all went down. “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. So, I had the most wonderful distraction in the world and soon after had a beautiful baby.”
As the suit made headlines, Johansson said that she was met with support, not criticism.
“I couldn’t even walk through a restaurant without somebody saying, ‘Good for you. Stand up for yourself,’” she said. “I could see that it had a bigger impact. I got support from strangers that have no skin in the game at all.”
Johansson continued to say that now that things are settled, she's still, and always will be, a fan of Disney. She's loved the company and its films since she was a child, she explained.
“We had annual passes to Disney World, and I have a real passion for the Disney parks. Also, when I was growing up, it was a great time for Disney animation — The Little Mermaid and Aladdin and Lion King with the incredible soundtrack. Like, I will be pre-buying tickets to The Little Mermaid. I actually need to text my sister about that."
And she's working with Disney again, too, even though she explained that Natasha Romanoff's story in the MCU has wrapped up. She'll be in the upcoming Tower of Terror film, directed by Taika Waititi.
“Yeah, I am sad, of course,” she says. “I absolutely loved every filming experience I had, working 10 years with Marvel and with that amazing cast, and I love the character Natasha. I have a lot of empathy for her, and it was amazing to build that character over such a long period of time. I also feel really good about her story coming to a close. I think she has a lot of dignity in her legacy.”