10 Unusual Demands Made By MCU Actors
1. A $100 Million Salary For Black Widow - Scarlett Johansson
A few months before Black Widow's release last summer, Disney announced plans to release it on Disney+ the same day it hit cinemas around the world, as sent shockwaves throughout the industry.
Most unexpectedly, this resulted in a lawsuit from star Scarlett Johansson, who understandably feeling that she was going to miss out on residual payments she would've got from a theatrical-exclusive release, sued Disney for lost profits.
Johansson's suit ultimately asked for an eye-watering total of $100 million - her $20 million upfront fee plus $80 million in residuals she believed she would've received had the film been released pre-pandemic.
Even for an A-lister like Johansson, though, that number seemed high. Robert Downey Jr., a far more vital component of the MCU, never made more than $75 million on any of his MCU movies, so $100 million for a Black Widow spin-off most fans agree came a few years too late seemed excessive.
Ultimately it was clear what Johansson was really doing: asking for far more than she actually wanted in the hope of securing her actual figure. A classic negotiations tactic, of course.
In the end Johansson received a $40 million settlement from Disney, just half of the $80 million she demanded on top of her initial fee, but ultimately probably around the figure she actually wanted.