Marvel's New Galactus Actor Sued Disney In 2023 - Here's Why
Marvel Studios' long-awaited "Fantastic Four" is coming together swimmingly as it prepares to enter principal photography. The actors behind Marvel's First Family have been announced, as have a handful of supporting players. Most recently, it has come to light that Ralph Ineson has signed the dotted line to play the villainous Galactus in the upcoming feature. This must mean that the actor known for such films as "The Witch" and "The First Omen" is now on good terms with Marvel Studios and Disney at large, seeing as he sued the House of Mouse not long ago.
In 2023, Ineson took Disney to court over an injury he allegedly sustained while working on the Disney+ series "Willow." As reported by Deadline, he claimed that an awkward fall during the filming of an action scene resulted in his shoulder dislocating, which then led to permanent damage in the aftermath. Ineson also alleged that the injury negatively impacted his ability to land future roles heavy on action and horseback riding. Thus, he sought up to $190,500 in damages. What ultimately became of the legal dispute has not been made public.
All in all, it shouldn't be too surprising that Ineson's legal skirmish with Disney hasn't prevented him from joining the MCU. After all, he's not the only Marvel actor to take the company to court, only to continue collaborating afterward.
Ineson isn't the only Marvel actor who has sued Disney
Long before Ralph Ineson was cast as Galactus in "Fantastic Four," and before he took Disney to court over his "Willow" injury, a Marvel Cinematic Universe staple sued Disney. Scarlett Johansson — the actor famously behind Natasha "Black Widow" Romanoff since 2010's "Iron Man 2" — filed against Disney in 2021 over the release of "Black Widow." Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film was released on Disney+ as well as in theaters, which she claimed was a violation of her contract. It explicitly stated that the film would be released exclusively in theaters.
As a result of the hybrid release of "Black Widow," Johansson claimed that she lost out on additional bonus profits based on the film's box office performance. Within a few months and plenty of public back-and-forth, both sides were able to resolve their dispute, with Johansson reportedly walking away with a payout of around $40 million in the end. Since then, Johansson has asserted that there's no bad blood between her and Disney, and despite Natasha's death in "Avengers: Endgame," Johansson isn't done with the MCU just yet. She's said to be working on a top-secret project with Marvel Studios.
Time — and money — seems to heal all wounds in the world of Marvel. Just as they didn't cut ties with Scarlett Johansson, past legal issues with Disney won't prevent Ralph Ineson from working at Marvel Studios by any means.