Disney has weighed in on Scarlett Johansson's recent Black Widow lawsuit, claiming it has "no merit." Black Widow premiered in theaters and on Disney+ on July 9. As a Premier Access feature on Disney+, subscribers had to pay an extra $30 to watch the film. The film was postponed numerous times in an attempt to release the film exclusively in theaters, but the coronavirus pandemic thwarted all of those attempts. Black Widow followed Natasha Romanoff and her sister Yelena as they try to destroy General Dreykov and the red room which forced girls, including Yelena and Natasha, into captivity to train to be Widows.

Johansson revealed her plans to sue Disney in July. She expressed that the company committed a breach of contract when her filmwas released on Disney+'s Premier Access in addition to theaters. Johansson reportedly lost $50 million, a sum that she would've made from box office sales. Johansson and her team expected Disney to renegotiate her contract after pivoting to releasing Black Widow on its streaming platform in addition to theaters. However, no adjustments were made, reportedly causing Johansson to lose out big time.

Related: Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow Lawsuit Against Disney Explained

Deadline confirms that Disney is striking back at Johansson and her legal team over the claims in her lawsuit. Disney has refuted many of the key components in Johansson's lawsuit. For instance, Johansson insisted that Disney meant exclusively movie screens when stating Black Widow would be shown on "no less than 1,500 screens." However, Disney now states that the contract never ensured that those screens had to be movie screens and that it has met that part of the agreement through viewers' TV screens through Disney+. Therefore, Disney insists that there was no breach of contract Johansson and her company Periwinkle Entertainment's lawsuit implies.

Natasha Romanoff points a gun in Black Widow

Additionally, Disney's lawyers Daniel Petrocelli, Leah Godesky and Tim Heafner take issue with the fact that Johansson is bypassing Marvel to sue the parent company in order to -- in their words -- generate publicity. They insinuate that excluding Marvel from the lawsuit goes against "longstanding principles" since it's a Marvel film. Disney also takes issue with Johansson's persistence in keeping this case in the public eye. Overall, the studio doesn't seem too thrilled with the actress' lawsuit and is opting for the tactic of diminishing Johansson and her claims. This could be because Disney is so confident in its case and feels it has to speak out due to how public it has become. Disney's defensiveness could also mean that the company is trying to mask its fear and feels that the case does, in fact, have some merit to it.

Taking a shot at Mickey Mouse and his company is a big feat and no one often dares to take. Most people wouldn't make this shot unless they were sure they wouldn't miss, and that might end up being the case for Johansson. Even Disney does end up winning the lawsuit, Johansson's accusations aren't a good look for the company, and Disney may find itself facing more in the future if they repeat the alleged mistakes they made with Black Widow.

Next: Why Scarlett Johansson's Lawsuit Hurts Disney More Than It Does The MCU

Source: Deadline

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