Scarlett Johansson on Her Return to the MCU after Lawsuit Settlement

Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow might’ve handed over the baton to next-gen Yelena, but her involvement in the MCU is far from over.

The actress is currently producing a mystery Marvel project, and it might come as a surprise to a few, given what went down in her lawsuit with Disney.

Johansson sued Disney back in July due to the company’s decision to release her much-awaited Black Widow on Disney+ and in theaters simultaneously, which resulted in it being one of MCU’s lowest-earning titles at the box office.

It seemed like Johansson would never work with them again, but the two parties eventually reached a settlement. The actress is now involved in not just the secret Marvel project but also the upcoming Tower of Terror film for Disney.

In a new interview with Collider, Johansson spoke up about what this means moving forward and said that her past experience in the industry helped inspire her to work in this “creative family,”

I have worked for 30 years, which is insane when I say it out loud, but I think I just understand the efficiency of how productions run and how you thin the fat on a production and make things well oiled. I’ve learned that the fish rots from the head, which is very very true I think in any creative space, but particularly a production involves many hundreds of people and so yeah, just working with people that want to be there and all want to creatively contribute to the same kind of idea and building that kind of creative family I think is something I’m really excited about as I produce more and more things for other people.

Marvel boss Kevin Feige revealed in an interview last month that Johansson would be producing an upcoming Marvel title. Talking about the MCU, Johansson had only praises for its future and was enthusiastic about being involved in future projects,

As far as Marvel goes, it’s like working with family there. Marvel has some of the best IP ever, and you can really dream big there, and nothing’s ever off the table, and you kind of throw all these blue-sky ideas around and see what sticks. It’s like a creative playground that’s just like a dream. Again, I have that shorthand with my fellow creatives there that comes from being in the world for 10 years with those guys.

Could this secret project be a Yelena solo film? Now that the character has solidified her place in the MCU timeline with her Hawkeye stint, it wouldn’t come off as a surprise if Florence Pugh stars in her own solo project. I guess only time can tell!

About Black Widow

Black Widow is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is intended to be the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Directed by Cate Shortland and written by Eric Pearson, the movie stars Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff alongside Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, William Hurt, Ray Winstone, and Rachel Weisz.

It will be the first film in Phase Four of the MCU, and was delayed three times from an original May 2020 release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Disney confirms Marvel Studios’ Black Widow will release on Disney+ for no extra cost to existing subscribers after its Premier Access release, October 6.

The film follows Natasha Romanoff as she confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.