Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh were ill with pneumonia while filming Black Widow, it has been revealed.

The new Marvel outing, which was recently confirmed to stream on Disney+ alongside a cinema run, is due to finally be released this summer after numerous delays related to the Coronavirus pandemic.

• READ MORE: ‘Black Widow’: release date, plot and everything we know so far

However, speaking to The Gentlewoman, director Cate Shortland revealed that the gruelling four-month shoot took its toll on the cast and crew.

“It was like being in the army,” she said, with the piece confirming that Johansson and co-star Pugh both shot the film while ill with pneumonia.

Speaking further about Johansson, she added: “She’s completely unpretentious, and that makes her really fun to be around. She’ll be joking with the best boy or the runner; there’s no hierarchy. She appreciates people, and she makes people feel appreciated.”

Black Widow‘s Disney+ release on July 9 will use a hybrid release model, which means viewers will have to pay an additional £19.99 fee on top of the annual subscription.

Speaking last week, Disney’s media and entertainment distribution chairman Kareem Daniel said: “Today’s announcement reflects our focus on providing consumer choice and serving the evolving preferences of audiences.”

In other news, Johansson also reflected on her past controversies in the Gentlewoman interview, saying: “I’m going to have opinions about things, because that’s just who I am.

She added: “I mean, everyone has a hard time admitting when they’re wrong about stuff, and for all of that to come out publicly, it can be embarrassing.

“To have the experience of, Wow, I was really off mark there, or I wasn’t looking at the big picture, or I was inconsiderate. I’m also a person.”