Scarlett Johansson, star of the Marvel superhero movie Black Widow, sued the Walt Disney Co yesterday, alleging it breached her contract when it offered the movie on streaming at the same time it played in cinemas.

Disney said there was “no merit” to the lawsuit, saying it had complied with her contract.

It added in a statement that the release of the movie on its streaming platform had “significantly enhanced her [Johansson’s] ability to earn additional compensation on top of the $20m she has received to date”.

Johansson’s complaint, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, argued that the dual release strategy of Black Widow had reduced her compensation, which was based partly on box office receipts from what was supposed to be an exclusive run in cinemas.

Black Widow debuted on July 9 in cinemas and for a $30 (€25) charge on Disney+.

Disney has been testing the hybrid pattern for some films during the pandemic as it tried to boost its streaming service while many cinemas around the world were closed.

Johansson’s lawsuit claims Disney wanted to steer audiences toward Disney+, “where it could keep the revenues for itself while simultaneously growing the Disney+ subscriber base, a proven way to boost Disney’s stock price”.

“Disney wanted to substantially devalue Ms Johansson’s agreement and thereby enrich itself,” said the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages to be determined at trial.

The outcome could have broad ramifications in Hollywood as media companies try to build their streaming services by offering premium programming to lure subscribers.