Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' box office success may have indirectly helped Scarlett Johansson's cause in winning her lawsuit against Disney over the release of Black Widow. Marvel Studios was poised to kick off MCU Phase 4 with the Cate Shortland-directed flick starring Johansson as Natasha Romanoff, but it was pushed back several times due to the coronavirus pandemic. By the time it was rolled out, Black Widow had a hybrid release instead of an exclusive theatrical debut, releasing simultaneously on Disney+ with Premier Access. This caused a commotion as Johansson subsequently sued Disney for loss of potential earnings.
The public eventually became engrossed in the matter as Disney's offical comments in response to Johansson's lawsuit were viewed by many as too harsh, and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige reportedly became frustrated at the controversy. This didn't help the House of Mouse's cause, as fans and fellow actors voiced support for Johansson's stance. Meanwhile, Johansson's bold move supposedly inspired others to push back against this divisive hybrid release strategy, including Emma Stone, star of Disney's Cruella. More recently, Disney and Johansson found a middle ground, and while not all of the specifics of the new terms have been released, a new report claims that MCU's latest blockbuster success aided Johansson in the outcome of the lawsuit.
According to industry insider Matthew Belloni (via Puck News), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' strong showing at the box office after its exclusive theatrical release backed up Johansson's case. The film, starring Simu Liu and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, was the first movie released during the pandemic to earn more than $200 million in North America. Black Widow, on the other hand, has pocketed $183 million. The argument is that if a new character with less brand recognition (like Shang-Chi) can bring out audiences in such big numbers, then an established Avenger getting her much-anticipated solo film should hypothetically perform even better. Read Belloni's comments below:
"It didn't help Disney's overall cause that Shang-Chi, a 'lesser' Marvel title starring a largely unknown actor that was released over the usually dormant Labor Day weekend, has stormed past Black Widow at the box office. The difference? Shang-Chi was a theatrical exclusive, of course. So that's a point for Johansson."
Following the news that Disney and Johansson had settled the lawsuit, it was revealed that the actress earned an extra $40 million from it. The case claimed that Johansson lost upwards of $50 million based on pre-pandemic projections. Ultimately, Johansson pocketed a significant amount considering the uncertainty surrounding box office successes in the middle of a global health crisis. Black Widow's global haul has now grown to $387 million. Add to that the earnings from its Disney+ Premier access availability, and it is totalling around $500 million in overall sales.
At this point, both Disney and Johansson appear to be ready to move on from this public conflict. On the heels of their settlement, both camps released statements expressing their eagerness to work again in the future, including in the upcoming Tower of Terror flick. As for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the film continues to perform at the box office and is currently approaching $370 million in global ticket sales. In fact, it's only a matter of time before it officially tops Black Widow, and its success continues to be a strong argument in Johansson's favor.
Source Matthew Belloni (via Puck News)
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