Scarlett Johansson Reportedly Would’ve Made A Lot More If Black Widow Passed $1B

Whether Black Widow‘s simultaneous theatrical and Disney Plus release was a good idea is currently the subject of intense debate. As you’ve surely heard, Johansson is suing the studio over the situation and is furious as she believes VOD cut the legs out from under the film’s box office haul, resulting in it becoming the worst-performing MCU movie in theaters since The Incredible Hulk. This particularly hurts because her back-end deal was based on those numbers, with sources close to WGTC – the same ones who told us Luke Skywalker would return in The Mandalorian – saying that she would’ve made a lot more if the film hit $1 billion, with some reports noting she may have missed out on as much as $50 million.

But could Black Widow really have cracked a billion dollars? It’s true that since 2018 the MCU has been on a mind-blowingly successful run of hits, with Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, and Spider-Man: Far From Home all comfortably passing the billion-dollar mark. Johansson’s Black Widow is an established and popular character, so it would have been entirely possible for her movie to have joined them.

But that’s ignoring the elephant in the room: the COVID-19 pandemic. Though there are signs of recovery for theaters, the global box office is still way down due to skittish audiences wanting to avoid crowded public places (and that’s in places that aren’t still in lockdown).

So yes, Black Widow likely stood a decent chance of joining the billion-dollar club in normal times, but we don’t live in normal times. The movie had already been delayed for a year and it’s likely Disney simply wanted to get it released so they can move on with their Phase 4 plans.

New Black Widow Photos See Natasha And Yelena Facing Down Taskmaster

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We should get a better idea of realistic goals for a pandemic-era MCU movie when theatrical exclusive Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings arrives next month. If that does similar numbers to Black Widow, Johansson’s argument suddenly looks a lot weaker.

All that said, if Disney and Johansson signed a contract based around Black Widow getting an exclusive theatrical release then it’s on the Mouse House to honor that. Presumably, some bean counter has done the math and figured out they’d make more money this way, even if it means they have to fight a damaging legal battle with one of their top stars.

My bet is that the Black Widow dispute will eventually result in a settlement between Disney and Johansson. The case going to court would expose a lot of confidential information about Disney Plus VOD financials that Disney would definitely prefer to stay secret. Then again, it’s rare that the crack team of Disney lawyers back down, so we shall see.

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Jason Momoa Defends Superhero Movies From Criticism

For whatever reason, the snootier subset of cinema enthusiasts tend to look down their noses at the raft of superhero blockbusters that come to multiplexes on an annual basis, as if it’s a bad thing for crowds to enjoy spectacle-driven action designed to put a smile on their face. Admittedly, some of them are vapid and hollow as hell, but others have received just as much critical acclaim as an awards-baiting prestige drama.

It can’t be denied that Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola are two of the most legendary filmmakers to have ever stepped behind a camera, boasting an astonishing back catalogue of all-time classics between them. However, the duo’s repeated comments on comic book adaptations have been dismissed and criticized by countless alumni of the genre, largely because there’s absolutely no harm in populist filmmaking packed with spandex-clad crimefighters.

Jason Momoa has now weighed in with his opinion, and while he admitted that they’re not exactly designed to be high art, he offered a fitting comparison between Hollywood’s superhero obsession and pop music, as well as defending the number of talented artists that work on these projects across every department.

“It’s like how people say that music is poppy and this music is cool. But you know how hard it is just to get your music out there for people to hear? It’s all subjective. I try not to pick on anything. So, yeah, superhero movies are bubble gum, but they’re like Greek mythology: They have good and evil and heartbreaking moments. And, gosh, you’re taking away other art forms if you stop making them. You’re taking away visual effects, you’re taking away what you can do with makeup.”

Feast Your Eyes On Over 40 New Aquaman Photos

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Having headlined the highest-grossing DC Comics adaptation in history, with sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom currently in production, Momoa knows a thing or two about how to sneak a broader message into an action-packed extravaganza, especially when he’s admitted in the past he was integral to cracking the stories for Arthur Curry’s adventures.

“I’m not someone who gets hired to play in a lot of cinema, but by being able to do a superhero movie, I can make a movie about something I really care about. I have a vision for the whole totality of Aquaman. There are environmental issues that I get to put into it. So while you’re going, ‘Oh yeah, it’s just this popcorn movie’, I’m like, ‘Well, I get to open people’s eyes to things that are important to me’.”

Like Momoa says, it’s entirely subjective, and nobody’s either right or wrong if they like or dislike the comic book genre. However, blasting something that a lot of people love because you don’t care for it isn’t the most mature way to handle the situation.

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