Disney Pushing Scarlett Johansson For Oscars Despite Black Widow Lawsuit

In July, Johansson filed a lawsuit against the company for allegedly breaching the terms of her contract by releasing Black Widow simultaneously in cinemas and on Disney+, arguably leading her to miss out on box office bonuses had it not gone to streaming straight away.
However, the two parties ended up reaching a ‘mutual agreement’, and the lawsuit was ultimately settled.
Disney has since been campaigning for the Marvel star to be nominated for the Best Actress award at the Oscars, for her performance in Black Widow.

The film was released on July 9, 2021, after a series of setbacks caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
However, rather than Black Widow having a solely theatrical release, it was also made accessible via the ‘Premier Access’ feature on Disney+, which requires customers to pay an additional fee.
The lawsuit alleged that the film’s release onto the streaming service was not written into her contract with the corporation and also deprived the actress of her earnings, which were tied to its performance at the box office.

Since the two parties’ reconciliation, Black Widow has been listed on Disney’s ‘For Your Consideration’ webpage, ScreenRant reports.
Alongside listing Johansson as ‘up for consideration’ for Best Actress, her co-stars Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel Weisz, William Hurt, O-T Fagbenle, and Ray Winstone are also mentioned for the awards of Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.
Disney has also suggested director of the Marvel film, Cate Shorthand, for the award of Best Director, as well as suggesting Black Widow should be nominated for the award of Best Picture.

The prospect of Marvel movies gaining awards has been a heavily debated topic in the world of film, with the likes of Ridley Scott and Martin Scorsese expressing their opposition to the effect superhero films have on the industry.
However, Disney has continued to push for Black Widow, alongside other 2021 Marvel releases like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals to be nominated for awards, which is not uncommon for studios to do.