Disney’s legal battle with Scarlett Johansson over Black Widow profits has been an ugly public spectacle. And now we’re seeing that it could be impacting Marvel’s working relationship with Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo.
Inside of another Wall Street Journal story, there’s mention of an “impasse” between Disney and the Russos over their next MCU project. The reason given is concern caused by Johansson’s lawsuit and what it could mean for the way their future films are released…
“Since the lawsuit, brothers Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, directors of Marvel’s ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ the highest-grossing movie of all time, hit an impasse in negotiations to direct another Marvel movie. The Johansson dispute left them unsure how their next movie would be distributed and how they would be paid, according to people familiar with the matter.”
This sounds like a temporary concern. As we saw with Disney’s negotiations with Emma Stone over Cruella II, these deals are going to get worked out so that the talent stays happy. It’s just that now Disney has to be upfront about this shit now, when they weren’t before. I don’t think the Russos have to worry much about one of their MCU films opening in theaters and Disney+, though. Disney knows to swing for the fences with the guys who delivered the highest-grossing movie of all-time.
