The actress's potential profits were linked to the film's box office performance, which was released in theaters and on Disney+ at the same time.
Scarlett Johansson has filed a lawsuit against the Walt Disney Company, alleging that the streaming release of Black Widow violated her contract and deprived her of prospective earnings.
The Black Widow star and executive producer claimed in a complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday morning that her contract guaranteed an exclusive theatrical distribution.
The case was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The film's box office performance was related to Johansson's potential earnings, which the firm released simultaneously in theaters and on its streaming service Disney+ for a 30 dollar (£21.50) rental.
Ms. Johansson gave Disney and Marvel every opportunity to remedy their injustice and make good on Marvel's promise in the months preceding up to this lawsuit, according to the lawsuit.
“Disney purposefully induced Marvel's breach of the agreement, without justification, in order to deprive Ms. Johansson of the full benefit of her Marvel contract.”
A request for comment from Disney was not immediately returned.
Black Widow launched to a pandemic best of 80 million dollars (£57.2 million) in North America and 78 million dollars (£55.8 million) in international theatres three weeks ago, but theatrical grosses dropped dramatically after that.
The National Association of Theatre Owners made a rare statement criticizing the plan in its second weekend of release, claiming that simultaneous release simply leads to lost income and greater quality piracy.
Hybrid theatrical and streaming releases, which were once forbidden, have grown more common for several of the industry's top studios throughout the epidemic, with each pursuing its own strategy.
This weekend, Disney will use the same tactic with Jungle Cruise, and next weekend, Warner Bros. will release The Suicide Squad, a big-budget film that will be released both in theaters and on HBO Max.
Over the last 16 months, the updated hybrid release plans have sparked public outcry from not only cinema owners, but also actors, filmmakers, and financiers who are dissatisfied with the potential revenue loss and the alleged unilateral decision-making involved.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Warner Media paid more than 200 million dollars (£143 million) in "amended agreements" with artists as a result of its plan to release its whole 2021 slate simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max.
None, however, has received as much attention as Johansson's complaint.
The afterword of the suit surfaced on Thursday, the actor, who has appeared in nine Marvel films dating back to 2010's Iron Man 2, rapidly became a trending topic on Twitter.
