Part 2/10:
At the heart of the issue is Johansson’s lawsuit alleging breach of contract. The actress claims that Disney shortchanged her by releasing Black Widow simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ during the pandemic. Since most of her fee was based on theatrical revenue, the move to stream the film on Disney+—which was included in a subscription—allegedly deprived her of tens of millions of dollars in earnings.
Johansson sought to renegotiate her contract to reflect the change in distribution, but Disney refused. This led to the actress filing a lawsuit, and rumors quickly emerged that Disney might try to ban her from future projects altogether—a move that could permanently damage her career with the studio.