Robert Downey Jr’s run with the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been one hell of a ride. His Iron Man was always stealing spotlights even if the movie had another superhero in the lead. Thanks to Robert Downey Jr, Iron Man laid down the foundation of the MCU and excited the fans about the upcoming superhero universe.

While the MCU had groundbreaking projects to its name all these years, the superhero universe has lately been in quite the slump. With one forgettable project after the next, fans are beginning to miss the era of The Infinity Saga. Black Widow is one perfect example of the previous statement. The film was majorly a let-down and Robert Downey Jr. might have revealed that Scarlett Johansson wasn’t asked for her opinion before filming the solo movie.

Robert Downey Jr. on “Meaningful Consultation”

Marvel Phase Four’s Black Widow turned out to be a big disappointment for the fans that were waiting to see Scarlett Johansson play Natasha Romanoff one last time. Robert Downey Jr.’s appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast leads to the speculations that Johansson wasn’t consulted before the filming of the film.

Host Joe Rogan asked his guest whether or not the Studios consulted the actors after handing them the film’s script. He elaborated on his question by asking if the actors were asked how they feel about their character’s arc or if it was just laid out in front of them. To this, Downey replied stating that things had changed over the course of time. The actor added that there has to be a different approach toward those actors who have a standalone film in the making. Giving the example of Black Widow, Downey stated there has to be “meaningful consultation” between the Studios and the actor before going forward. At least that’s how the Due Date actor would do it.

“But it’s changed over time. I think if you’re one of the folks that has their standalone movies like Scarlett has Black Widow coming out, I think you take a – I would – take a bit of a different attack in how much, I think the legal phrase for actors and studios is ‘Meaningful Consultation, not script approval. Because then anybody could hold the studio hostage.”
Downey then added that he too had moments of differences with the script as he is “passionate about story.” However, with the Studios moving forward with time and after working with the same set of people over time, Downey realized that sometimes it’s better to trust the Studios’ vision, instead. The actor also added that you have to trust that the Studios are thinking on behalf of the actors and that changing big things could cause an “inconvenience to the higher good.”

Does this mean that Johansson, too, put all her trust in Black Widow’s team? If so, then neither do the critics nor the fans know if that was really the way to go.

Scarlett Johansson Accuses Disney

If the backlash for Black Widow wasn’t enough for the Studios, Johansson had another bone to pick with Disney. Following the release of her character’s solo film on Disney+, Johansson was furious, to say the least. She filed a lawsuit against Disney at the Los Angeles Superior Court the grounds of which were a breach of contract.
Disney choosing to release Black Widow on Disney+ at the same time as its theatrical release did not sit right with the Lucy actress. Johansson put forward her side of the story stating that her salary was based on box-office performance in large part. The movie being available on a streaming platform immediately meant that a lot of people would simply choose to watch the film in the comfort of their homes.

The lawsuit was later settled although the terms of the deal remain under covers. In a statement, Johansson stated that she was happy to have resolved her differences with Disney and was proud of the work they have done together. It looks like Black Widow saw lots of ups and downs after its release!

Black Widow is available to stream on Disney+.