Dave Bautista's joke about Scarlett Johansson's 'Black Widow' lawsuit divides fans

Guardians of the Galaxy actor Dave Bautista is Scarlett Johansson’s first Marvel costar to react to her lawsuit against Disney over the release of her latest film Black Widow, and his response left many fans divided.

Johnsson sued the Walt Disney Co on Thursday, alleging that the company breached her contract when it offered Black Widow on streaming at the same time it played in theatres.

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 $20 million she has received to date.”

SCARLETT JOHANSSON SUES DISNEY OVER ‘BLACK WIDOW’, COMPLAINT REJECTED

Scarlett 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.

Disney’s response was met with widespread disdain, with Bryan Lourd, co-chairman of the Creative Arts Agency (CAA), accusing Disney of attacking the actress’s character and of revealing her salary for the superhero movie “in an attempt to weaponize her success as an artist and a businesswoman.”

Soon after, Dave Bautista, who plays Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, took a seemingly light-hearted dig at the situation, taking to Twitter to joke: “Told em they should’ve made a #Drax movie but noooooo!”

Told em they should’ve made a #Drax movie but noooooo! 🤷🏻‍♂️ https://t.co/uuvkCU5vAI

— Dave Bautista (@DaveBautista) July 30, 2021

Bautista’s joke that a standalone Drax film could’ve fared well for Disney and saved them a lawsuit elicited a bevvy of responses of fans, some of whom weren’t too thrilled about him cracking a joke at Johnsson’s expense given the situation.

“I really don’t know whether you are supporting her or dragging her down with this tweet, Dave,” one user replied, while another asked, “I don’t understand this tweet. Is this voicing out support for a fellow female castmate asking for her worth? If so, where’s the clear message? Or is this just an expressed resentment over a rejected pitch thrown as another pile-on on Disney?”

https://twitter.com/migeulsilvester/status/1421277678817058820

“…Scarlett’s contract was breached and she’s more than entitled to the damages they’ve caused her. She spent a decade creating one of the most iconic characters, suffered sexism and hyper sexualisation and now this… She deserved better,” another user chimed in.

This tweet ain’t it. Scarlett’s contract was breached period and she’s more than entitled to the damages they’ve caused her. She spent a decade creating one of the most iconic characters, suffered sexism and hyper sexualisation and now this crap. She deserved better.

— Natasha ⧗ (@scarlettjo4ever) July 30, 2021