ScarJo Sues Disney for Breach of Contract – How Much Is the ‘Black Widow’ Star Worth?
The Wall Street Journal reports that actress Scarlett Johansson, who cemented her status as a household name after joining the Marvel Universe as Black Widow, is suing Disney for an alleged breach of contract. Her star turn in the film “Black Widow” – which was released in theaters and on Disney+ concurrently on July 9, 2021 – apparently included an “agreement with Disney’s Marvel Entertainment guarantee[ing] an exclusive theatrical release, and her salary was based in large part on the box-office performance of the film,” according to the WSJ.
The lawsuit states that “Disney intentionally induced Marvel’s breach of the agreement, without justification, in order to prevent Ms. Johansson from realizing the full benefit of her bargain with Marvel,” also according to WSJ’s report.
Johansson’s latest role is the latest in a long career that started at age 10, when she debuted in the 1994 film “North” as John Ritter’s daughter. From there, her star only continued to rise all through the ’90s.
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Johansson’s starring role alongside Robert Redford in “The Horse Whisperer” in 1998 netted her a nomination for the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actress. But it wasn’t until her turn in the 2001 dark indie film, “Ghost World,” that she really arrived as a talent to watch. Though the film itself was a box office flop, the world had taken note of this bold new actress.
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A Noteworthy Career
In the nearly 30 years of her career, 36-year-old Scarlett Johansson has worked with some of the biggest name directors and been nominated twice for an Academy Award as Best Actress. She’s also won a number of other awards including a British Film Academy Award and a Tony, and too many nominations to list.
Though she has gotten the most acclaim for artsy movies such as “The Girl With the Pearl Earring,” “Black Dahlia” and “A Marriage Story,” 2010 was really her career-making year. This was when she first starred alongside Robert Downey Jr. in “Iron Man 2” as the anti-heroine Black Widow and became a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). She continued to star as Black Widow in “The Avengers” (2012), “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014), “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015), “Captain America: Civil War” (2016) and “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018), among other MCU films, and will headline the standalone “Black Widow” movie this July. Industry insiders predict that “Black Widow” will knock out its opening weekend with $90 million in earnings, according to ComicBook.com.
In addition to film acting, she has performed in a number of stage productions, on and off Broadway, and even produced several music albums in 2008 and 2009.
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Scarlett Johansson’s Net Worth
Acting has been quite lucrative for Johansson. According to Celebrity Net Worth, she is worth $165 million and one of the highest-paid actresses in the world. In 2018, Forbes dubbed her the highest-paid actress, taking the spot from previous title-holder Angelina Jolie. Though she only earned a “measly” $400,000 for her role in “Iron Man 2,” her salaries quickly rose to the millions for the following Marvel movies. She earned $15 million for “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame” and also for “Black Widow.” In total, she has earned about $75 million just for Marvel movies. For other films, she typically earns around $10 million, though she took in a cool $17.5 million for “Ghost in the Shell” — her highest paycheck for a film to date.
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Endorsements
While Johansson’s wealth has largely been earned through acting, she also makes bank on endorsements. In addition to her film salaries, she can take in between $10 and $20 million every year from a variety of endorsements.
Just a few of the big-name companies she’s endorsed through ad and modeling campaigns include L’Oreal, Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein, Mango, Dolce & Gabbana and Moet & Chandon. In the year between August 2017 and August 2018, for example, she made $40 million alone, putting her in the position of the No. 1 highest-paid actress in the world. Compared to her early salary for “Iron Man 2,” where her character Black Widow was first introduced, she has come a long way financially.
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Real Estate Portfolio
Johansson has also wisely invested her money in real estate. In 2008 she bought a Manhattan apartment for $2.1 million. In 2013, she bought 1.5 acres in Amagansett, New York, for $3.5 million. In 2014 she spent $4 million on a home in Los Angeles. And in 2018 she bought a home in upstate New York for $4 million. Celebrity Net Worth estimates her real estate portfolio as being worth around $20 million.
In between jobs, she’s had a little time for romance. She was first married to fellow actor Ryan Reynolds from 2008 to 2011, then, after their split, to businessman Romain Dauriac, with whom she has a daughter. They divorced in 2017. In May 2019 Johansson said yes to “Saturday Night Live” star Colin Jost, and the pair quietly married in 2020.
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Activist for Women’s Rights
When not acting, Johansson has been a passionate and vocal spokesperson for women’s rights, in and out of the industry. Recently she took a stand against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), citing sexist remarks and attitudes, according to Variety. She also headlined at the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., in 2016.
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Last updated: July 29, 2021
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: ScarJo Sues Disney for Breach of Contract – How Much Is the ‘Black Widow’ Star Worth?
