Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is reportedly “angry and embarrassed” over how Disney has treated Scarlett Johansson and the Black Widow theatrical release.
It was revealed on Thursday that Scarlett Johansson was suing Disney over the hybrid day-and-date release for Black Widow, her supposedly final film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Widow‘s theatrical release was delayed numerous times from 2020. The film was finally released in cinemas earlier this month, grossing $80+ million domestically, but saw a huge drop in its second week, racking in just under $30 million. The Marvel film quickly saw its theatrical profits drop, no doubt due to the film being available on Disney Plus via Premiere Access for $30 USD.
Johansson’s lawsuit states that the star was guaranteed an exclusive theatrical release and that her salary, in part, was tied to the film’s box office returns. The lawsuit also claims that Disney intentionally breached the agreement so Johansson wouldn’t fully realize the benefits from the deal. Disney responded to the lawsuit by stating that they’ve fully complied with the Black Widow star’s contract and that she’s been able to earn additional compensation due to the Disney Plus hybrid release.
With the lawsuit now a hot topic both on the internet and at Disney, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is reportedly “angry and embarrassed” over the entire situation. Matthew Belloni, Former Executive Editor for The Hollywood Reporter, says in his newsletter What I’m Hearing… that the Marvel article is “pissed”. Feige reportedly lobbied against the day-and-date hybrid release for Black Widow. Furthermore, he was keen on not wanting to upset Scarlett Johansson, with who he has been working with since 2010’s Iron Man 2. When the film began to disappoint with its middling box office receipts, Feige wanted Disney to make things right for the star.
This isn’t the first time Kevin Feige has butted heads against Disney. The Marvel producer infamously didn’t meet eyes with Marvel Chairman Ike Perlmutter and made it clear to Disney’s Alan Horn that his future at the company was at stake. Feige was quickly moved out of Perlmutter’s jurisdiction and began to operate on his own. After Disney failed to meet Feige’s plea for a theatrical release and additional compensation for Johansson, Belloni speculates that things aren’t looking too good for the hotshot Marvel exec at Disney and that he might just join Walter Hamada at DC Films.
What are your thoughts on Kevin Feige being upset over the entire Black Widow release? Comment below and let us know!
Here is the synopsis for Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow:
In Marvel Studios’ action-packed spy thriller “Black Widow,” Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
Directed by Cate Shortland from a script written by Eric Pearson based on a story by Jac Schaeffer and Ned Benson, the Marvel film stars Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, Ray Winstone, Olivier Richters, and Rachel Weisz.
The film is out now in theatres and Disney Plus via Premiere Access. Stay tuned for all the latest news surrounding Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.
Source: Matthew Belloni
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