Black Widow Speaks Out: Scarlett Johansson Calls Out Oscars for Ignoring Marvel’s Biggest Hit

Scarlett Johansson has never been one to mince words, and this week the Hollywood superstar is making headlines again—this time for calling out the Academy Awards over one of Marvel’s biggest snubs. While promoting her directorial debut Eleanor the Great, which premieres at Cannes, Johansson didn’t hold back when asked about the legacy of Avengers: Endgame.

“How did this film not get nominated for an Oscar?” Johansson questioned in a recent interview with Vanity Fair, referring to the 2019 Marvel blockbuster that shattered box office records and brought an emotional close to more than a decade of interconnected superhero storytelling. “It was an impossible movie that should not have worked, that really works as a film—and also, it’s one of the most successful films of all time.”

Johansson, who played Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) across nine years and multiple MCU films, saw her character’s journey come to a tragic end in Endgame. For the actress, the absence of Oscar recognition wasn’t just a personal disappointment—it was a slight to a film that, by all measures, was both an industry and cultural phenomenon.

Reflecting on her tenure as Black Widow, Johansson also explained her reluctance to revisit the character: “It would be very hard for me to understand in what capacity [returning] would make sense for me, for the character that I play. I miss my buddies and really would love to be with them forever, but what works about the character is that her story is complete. I don’t want to mess with that. For fans, too—it’s important for them.”

As the Marvel universe continues to dominate the box office—most recently with the runaway success of Thunderbolts—Johansson’s comments reignite a familiar debate: Why do blockbuster films, even those that captivate millions and define an era of moviegoing, so often get snubbed in the industry’s most prestigious awards?

It’s a question Johansson is now uniquely positioned to ask. With a busy 2025 ahead—including a hosting return to Saturday Night Live, a starring role in Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme at Cannes, and a part in Jurassic World: Rebirth—she remains one of the industry’s most visible and versatile talents. But for Johansson, and for millions of Marvel fans, the Oscars’ continued cold shoulder toward superhero epics remains a cinematic mystery still waiting to be solved.