Shang-Chi Helped Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow Lawsuit Against Disney

Scarlett Johansson has finally reached a settlement with Disney after filing a lawsuit over Black Widow's split release. Interestingly, it was another Marvel Cinematic Universe flick that actually helped Johansson's case. As it turns out, Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings may have proven the actress' case.

In case you missed it, the settlement came soon after Shang-Chi's success was proven in the box office. According to industry insider Matt Belloni, Johansson's legal team may have been waiting for this so they could prove that a full theatrical release would have changed things up for Black Widow.

"It didn't help Disney's overall cause that Shang-Chi, a 'lesser' Marvel title starring a largely unknown actor that was released over the usually dormant Labor Day weekend, has stormed past Black Widow at the box office," Belloni wrote. "The difference? Shang-Chi was a theatrical exclusive, of course. So that's a point for Johansson."

There was a huge difference indeed considering that Shang-Chi's release also happened when new COVID-19 variant cases were being reported. With that in mind, Black Widow may have made very different box office numbers if it was a theatrical exclusive as well.

The settlement also led to some good news both for Disney and Johansson. The studio is expected to continue working with the Avengers: Endgame star and will produce her next project, the Tower of Terror movie.

Black Widow was released in theaters and on Disney+ on July 9, 2021. Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings hit theaters on September 3, 2021.

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