The superhero film set a box office record for the COVID-19 pandemic when it came out this month, grossing $218m (£157m) on its first weekend.
But box office receipts then fell sharply and Ms Johansson argues she was deprived of potential earnings.
Disney did not comment immediately on the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles.
Ms Johansson says she was promised by Marvel Studios, which is owned by Disney, that Black Widow would be a "theatrical release", and that she had understood this to mean a traditional "window" of time would pass before it would be streamed.