Scarlett Johansson's 'Black Widow' lawsuit is a battle for the future of the A-list star. But nothing can stop the TikTok takeover of celebrity culture.
Scarlett Johansson 's Disney lawsuit could have widespread consequences. Marvel Studios
Hollywood's A-listers, that rarefied breed of actors who draw mass audiences and command jaw-dropping paychecks, were already an endangered species thanks to cultural trends from the dominance of IP in Hollywood to the ubiquity of social media.
So the shuttering of movie theaters amid the COVID-19 pandemic looked like another nail to the heart of the megastar, as shoulda-been blockbusters premiered on small screens instead. Added to that creative injury was an even deeper financial insult: No theatrical release, no seven- and eight-figure payments tied to box office grosses.
But Scarlett Johansson isn't taking this disruption lying down: Her "Black Widow" lawsuit against Disney, filed Thursday and first reported by the Wall Street Journal, could have widespread consequences for other stars' paychecks and power in Hollywood.
Johansson's suit alleges her contract was breached when her Avenger character's standalone vehicle was released in theaters and on Disney+ the same day — despite what the court filing claims was a "valuable contractual promise" from Marvel that "Black Widow" would have a "wide theatrical release." One source told the Wall Street Journal that Disney's pivot cost Johansson more than $50 million.
The lawsuit arrives during a crucial transition period for Hollywood, which is seeing studios and filmmakers develop vastly more content than ever before to supply streamers including Disney+, Netflix, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime Video.
These changes are not only upending time-honored pay structures for stars like Johansson but also minting a new breed of star, whose value is measured more by social media fluency than by ratings or box-office receipts. Consider Noah Centineo, whose Instagram following rose from under a million to more than 13 million in the two months after the Netflix premiere of "To All the Boys I've Loved Before"; he'll soon star opposite Dwayne Johnson in "Black Adam."
While Johnson remains on the short list of headliners who can carry films and fill theater seats, today's audiences care less about the star and more about the IP. The Marvel Cinematic Universe and its trove of franchises is a fine example: Three actors have played Spider-Man in Marvel's live-action films since 2002 — box office success has varied but each Spidey saw at least one hit — and Avengers fans are less driven by the ensemble's star wattage than by the excitement of their favorite superheroes assembling.
Pandemic brought stars closer to audiences — maybe too close
Enter the COVID-19 pandemic, which kept shut-ins around the world glued to streaming films and shows with few big names involved. Shonda Rhimes' frothy Netflix confection "Bridgerton," which debuted last Christmas,was the biggest series debut on Netflix ever, the streamer said, despite having no recognizable actors in its cast. And Disney+'s first hit, "The Mandalorian," was all about Baby Yoda.
The pandemic also chipped away at A-listers' mystique. On late night shows and awards telecasts, audiences saw stars in their living rooms, clad in message T-shirts instead of couture — so accessible, so real, so … unglamorous.
And as production ground to a several-month halt in early 2020, many celebrities sought to connect with fans by increasing their social media presence. Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat now offer an unprecedented look into the daily minutiae of stars' lives.
At the same time, these platforms are catapulting waves of unknowns to prominence. Two of TikTok's most popular stars, Charli D'Amelio and Addison Rae, command 121.2 million followers and 82.1 million followers, respectively, with D'Amelio earning $4 million and Rae earning $5 million during the 12-month period ending in June 2020 from a slew of partnerships, according to a Forbes report.
D'Amelio's and Rae's earnings fall well short of the top paydays for Johansson and her ilk, but these influencers' cultural clout among the younger demographic is their superpower — and it's translating to Hollywood: D'Amelio will appear in a Hulu documentary series alongside her sister premiering September 3, and Rae will appear in a remake of '90s teen rom-com "She's All That" on Netflix later this month.
Expect that kind of crossover to continue as more influencers rise in status and secure top Hollywood agents to shepherd their far-reaching ambitions. D'Amelio in October 2020 hired Greg Goodfried, UTA's former co-head of digital talent, to help grow the family empire. Time will tell whether "TikTok's First Family" can capture the zeitgeist the way the Kardashians did.
But don't look for Scarlett Johansson to press her case against Disney in a 90-second viral video or an Instagram Story. She's not on social media.