In the midst of Scarlett Johansson's legal battle with Disney over her Black Widow earnings from that controversial Disney+ "Premier Access" release, it was reported that the Russo Brothers' talks with Marvel Studios to helm another movie for them had stalled. This was reportedly a result of uncertainty surrounding how the feature would be distributed and how they'd be compensated.
Since then, Disney has made things right with the actress, and we're sure the studio wouldn't be foolish enough to pass up on bringing Joe and Anthony back after the success of Avengers: Endgame.
During a recent interview with Variety, Joe Russo was asked about where things stand with those talks. Unfortunately, all he'd say was, "it would be inappropriate for us to comment on a deal if we were in the middle of it." That's fair enough, though we're pretty sure this movie is going to be Secret Wars!
As for Johansson's battle with Disney, the filmmaker added: "I’m glad that the lawsuit’s resolved. I do think it was indicative of significant change that’s been happening. The resolution speaks volumes about the respect for artists moving forward in this changing landscape."
"There’s a lot of tension, just like there is in a lot of industries, because there’s a lot of disruption," Joe continued. "People’s nerves are fraying, and it’s hard to predict what’s going to happen or where anything is going. Corporations are panicking at the moment, because I think that half the studios are going to disappear in the next 5-10 years, and the game has changed dramatically."
"There are content producers who can outspend any studio, and it’s just a rounding error for them, because they’re $1 trillion companies. We’ve never seen that before in the business."
Digital and streaming releases don't appear to be the future of Hollywood blockbusters if the past couple of months are any indication, but the landscape is definitely changing. Whether we're talking about the future of smaller movies or the shortening of the theatrical window, there's simply no getting around the fact that COVID-19 has had a major, long-lasting impact on this business.
Are you excited for the Russo Brothers to make their MCU return?