It’s been four years since Scarlett Johansson last appeared in a Marvel film, but her name recently popped up in the credits for “Thunderbolts” — as an executive producer. The twist? She didn’t want it there.
In a new interview with David Harbour for Interview Magazine, Johansson revealed she had requested her name be removed from the film’s credits.
During the interview, Harbour joked with Johansson, saying, “Okay. You are an executive producer on it. Congratulations.” Johansson quickly clarified, “I asked to have my credit removed because I wasn’t involved.”Harbour laughed and replied, “You hated the movie that much?”
Johansson Clarifies Her Marvel Exit Was Creative, Not Critical
While the moment was lighthearted, Johansson’s choice feels more professional than petty. She didn’t work on the project, so having her name on it didn’t feel right, especially now that she’s taking on more creative control behind the scenes.
Having just made her directorial debut at Cannes with Eleanor the Great, Johansson is looking ahead. Credit on a Marvel title she didn’t work on? Probably not a priority.
From Iron Man 2 to Black Widow — Look Back at Her Marvel Journey
Scarlett Johansson’s journey with Marvel started back in 2010 with Iron Man 2, when she first stepped into the role of Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow. She went on to appear in all four Avengers films, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, “Civil War, Thor: Ragnarok”, and eventually headlined her solo movie, Black Widow, in 2021.
Interestingly, she only got that solo feature after her character was killed off in Avengers: Endgame, making Black Widow a prequel set during the events of Civil War.
Johansson Opens Up About Feeling Unfulfilled in Some Marvel Roles
In her chat with Variety, Johansson also got honest about her Marvel experience, saying not every film gave her space to act. “Some of the films that I did for Marvel engaged my character more than others,” she said. “Like in [‘Captain America: The] Winter Soldier’ with Chris [Evans], we were really dynamic.”
She continued, “In some of the other films, the cast was so enormous and there was so much plot to serve that you start to feel like you’re a device to move it along. And if you’re committed to five and a half months of that, it’s like, ‘Okay. I can’t paint my nails, I can’t get a haircut.’”
“These sound like silly problems, but your identity is wrapped up in this job for a long time, and if you’re not doing engaging work as an actor, you feel a little cagey sometimes.”
What’s Next for Scarlett Johansson?
While “Thunderbolts” is now in theaters (without Johansson’s name in the credits), fans can catch her next in Jurassic World: Rebirth, set to hit theaters on July 2.
As she moves further into directing and creative control, expect Johansson to be a lot more intentional about which projects she puts her name on — and which ones she doesn’t.
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Scarlett Johansson Opted Out of Credit in Marvel Film — Here’s Why