Back in 2021, Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson filed a lawsuit against the Walt Disney Co., alleging that her contract was breached when the Marvel Studios movie was released on Disney+ and in theaters at the same time. But time heals everything and it seems her legal feud with Disney is over as she has discussed the matter in a recent interview saying that she has no grudge now.
Scarlett Johansson’s Legal Battle with Disney Seemingly Resolved
Scarlett Johansson. Image Credit: Marvel Studios
The highly publicized legal dispute between Scarlett Johansson and Disney regarding the release of Black Widow seems to be settled. Johansson recently spoke about the situation, making it clear she harbors no ill will towards the studio.
Released in June 2021, Black Widow marked the beginning of MCU Phase 4 and the Multiverse Saga. Despite introducing a new direction for the MCU, the film primarily took place between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. The movie’s release faced challenges, leading to a legal dispute concerning its box office performance.
During an interview with The New York Times, Johansson emphasized that she does not bear a grudge against Disney. The conflict stemmed from what Johansson and her team perceived as a mishandling of the movie’s release. The actress found the situation unprofessional and disappointing, especially as she had hoped for a resolution until her team insisted she take action. Her complete statement is as follows:
“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.'”
While a return as Natasha Romanoff seems unlikely (though the multiverse offers possibilities!), Johansson remains involved with Marvel Studios. She’s currently producing a project rumored to be a Blonde Phantom series for Disney+.
In the meantime, Johansson is busy promoting her new romantic comedy, Fly Me to the Moon, currently playing in theaters. She’s also involved in production on Universal’s upcoming Jurassic World movie. Black Widow, despite the controversy surrounding its release, managed to gross a total of $183.7 million domestically and $379.8 million worldwide.
But, Scarlett Johansson Has Grudge On OpenAI’s Sam Altman
Scarlett Johansson. Image Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions
Scarlett Johansson recently voiced her concerns regarding OpenAI and the deepfake technology, expressing her anger and disturbance over the company seemingly using her voice for its ChatGPT system Sky.
Earlier this year, Johansson made headlines by publicly addressing the situation. She revealed that Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, had contacted her in September 2023 to lend her voice for Sky, a homage to her role in the film Her. She declined the offer for personal reasons. In May, as Sky was released, Altman posted a tweet simply stating “her.”
After Johansson’s public statement and her lawyers’ intervention, OpenAI complied with her request to remove the voice of Sky. The company maintained, however, that “Sky’s voice is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson but belongs to a different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice.” Altman clarified that the actress voicing Sky was hired prior to his approach to Johansson, who was considered for an additional voice role. He apologized to Johansson and announced the pausing of Sky “out of respect for” her.
In the same interview with The New York Times, Johansson expressed how she had intentionally avoided engaging in discussions about deepfake technology, which made the situation even more unsettling for her. She stated, “I had actively avoided being a part of the conversation, which was what made it so disturbing. I was like, ‘How did I get wrapped up in this?’” Johansson described the technology as a “dark wormhole you can never climb your way out of.”
She highlighted the potential harm of deepfake technology, mentioning how it could lead to personal and professional ruin if misused, such as in the case of revenge porn. She observed, “I think technologies move faster than our fragile human egos can process it, and you see the effects all over, especially with young people. This technology is coming like a thousand-foot wave.”
When asked if Altman could play a Marvel villain, Johansson responded humorously, suggesting he might be a fitting candidate, possibly with a robotic arm.
