Disney CEO backs down amid legal battle with Scarlett Johansson

Burbank, California - Disney's CEO gave an update on how the company will handle talent deals with stars amid legal battle with Scarlett Johansson.

In July, Scarlett Johansson filed a lawsuit against Disney and Marvel Entertainment over the simultaneous release for Black Widow.
In July, Scarlett Johansson filed a lawsuit against Disney and Marvel Entertainment over the simultaneous release for Black Widow.  © IMAGO / Prod.DB

Has Scarlett's lawsuit caused a shakeup at Disney?

On Tuesday, CEO Bob Chapek revealed that Disney will "reset" how the company handle talent deals with actors.

"We’re sort of putting a square peg in a round hole where we’ve got a deal that’s conceived under a certain set of conditions that actually results in a movie that’s being released in a different set," he explained while speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communicopia conference.

Olivia Dunne shows off cowgirl flair in Texas for NCAA championships
Olivia Dunne Olivia Dunne shows off cowgirl flair in Texas for NCAA championships

The director added: "So there’s actually a bit of a reset that’s going on right now, and ultimately we’ll think about that as we do our future talent deals and plan for that and make sure that that’s incorporated."

The CEO's update sounds vastly different from Disney's initial response to the legal battle.

In July, Scarlett filed a breach of contract against Disney and Marvel studios over the release of Black Widow. According to the star, she was guaranteed an exclusive theatrically release for the Marvel film.

However, Disney and Marvel's decision to simultaneously release the action-flick on the streaming app reportedly caused Scarlett to lose out on at least $50 million in bonuses.

In August, Disney disputed the lawsuit and also called Scarlett's claims "meritless."

Since the legal battle made headlines, a few of ScarJo's costars have spoken out.

While Elizabeth Olsen, offered her support for Avengers cast-mate, Benedict Cumberbatch called the whole ordeal "a bit of a mess."

Now, it seems Scarlett's bold move made some progress, though this still could be an ongoing battle.

Cover photo: IMAGO / Prod.DB

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