The fallout from Scarlett Johansson suing Disney is far from over, with a new report claiming yesterday that Joe and Anthony Russo’s talks to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and helm a new project have stalled, with the siblings said to be unsure and uncertain of whether or not to commit to a comeback as a combination of the pandemic and the Black Widow lawsuit loom in the background.
The same report delves deeper into the behind the scenes machinations that saw the comic book blockbuster awarded a simultaneous theatrical and Disney Plus Premier Access Release, where it finally arrived fourteen months behind schedule this past July. Kevin Feige may be one of the most powerful figures in the industry, but at the end of the day, even the architect of the most successful franchise in history needs to answer to their boss.
As per the latest information, Feige was firmly opposed to the idea of Black Widow going to streaming, because he wanted to clearly differentiate the MCU’s feature length offerings from the slate of streaming exclusives. Not only that, he wasn’t enthused about relegating the long-awaited solo debut of the brand’s most popular and prominent female character to home viewing, when Marvel Studios are actively looking to increase diversity and representation on either side of the camera.
It’s been a messy situation from start to finish, and while Black Widow has performed admirably by pandemic-era standards to earn $371 million and counting at the box office, it’s the offscreen turbulence that’s dominated the headlines ever since Johansson went public with her dissatisfaction.