Scarlett Johansson Wants Marvel Fans to Know She Really Is Done: ‘Natasha Is Dead'
Ever since Robert Downey Jr. announced his heel-flip return to the MCU as iconic villain Doctor Doom, Marvel fans have been clamoring to find out who from the original 'Avengers' might be resurrected for the next installments. While it's unclear who, if anyone, will be joining Downey Jr., one star wants it to be known that her character will remain peaceful in the after-life.
'Natasha is dead. She is dead. She's dead. Okay?' said Scarlett Johansson in a recent interview with InStyle. Speaking of how Marvel fans refuse to accept her character's death in 'Avengers: Endgame,' she added, 'They just don't want to believe it. They're like, 'But she could come back!' Look, I think the balance of the entire universe is held in her hand. We're going to have to let it go. She saved the world. Let her have her hero moment.'
More from IndieWire
'Take No Prisoners' Review: An Inside Look at America's Top Hostage Negotiator and His Battle Against Wrongful Detention
Ed Lachman Calls Out Contemporary Cinematography: 'Everything's Mush'
Though her part in the 'Avengers' series and her standalone feature 'Black Widow' have helped elevate Johansson to superstar status, she's ready to put this part of her life in the past. Especially considering how much she values her privacy and how being a part of the Marvel machine disrupts that.
'The thing about being a public figure is that the idea of being recognizable and celebrated feels fun, but then you can never stuff it back in the bottle,' Johansson said. 'The reality of it is, there's a massive loss to that, you know? So I think preserving that for as long as possible until it's someone's choice, that's the choice I make as far as my kids go.'
In fact, Johansson has recently decided to step from in front of the camera to behind it. Releasing at some point this year, Johansson's directorial debut 'Eleanor the Great' stars nonagenarian June Squibb and is described as being inspired by indie films of the 'mid-80s to the mid-2000s,' such as 'Living Out Loud,' 'Crossing Delancey,' and 'Moonstruck.' Not only did the film give Johansson a chance to take some of the spotlight off herself, but it also satisfied a need to grow and take in new experiences.
'When I would get home from work,' Johansson told InStyle, 'and I would say to Colin [Jost], 'You know, it's so exciting to be 40 and learn a new thing. Now I know how to make a movie like this. I know how to finish it. The process of sound mixing and coloring and editing' — I didn't know that before. And now I know how to do it.'
Best of IndieWire
Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See
'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie
The 55 Best LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Mortal Kombat 2 Early Reactions Similar to Avengers: Endgame, Says Writer
Jeremy Slater, the screenwriter for the upcoming , stated in a new interview that the early responses to the movie are similar to how he reacted to Avengers: Endgame. Mortal Kombat II will serve as the sequel to the 2021 film Mortal Kombat and be the fourth live-action movie in the franchise overall. Like its predecessors, it is based on the video game series of the same name, developed by Ed Boon and John Tobias. Slater drew a comparison between the early reactions to Mortal Kombat II and his own reaction to Avengers: Endgame during an interview with ComicBook. Notably, Endgame debuted in US theaters in April 2019 and went on to become one of the most successful movies of all time. It currently has a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes after 551 reviews. The movie is also the second-highest-grossing feature film of all time, behind 2009's Avatar. Slater disclosed that Mortal Kombat II had been complete 'for a while' and that they had been 'waiting for the right release date and waiting for the right window.' He added, 'I have been to those test screenings, which are full of Mortal Kombat fans, and watching them react to it the way I reacted to Avengers: Endgame. They were cheering and jumping out of their seats. Every joke is landing, and they are loving it. It's one of the greatest moments of my life. That's why you get into this business.' The release date of 2021's Mortal Kombat was initially delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its premiere, it has garnered a 55% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes after 297 reviews. The movie had a modest to good box office run and did quite well when it became available for streaming. The cast of Mortal Kombat II includes Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, Adeline Rudolph as Kitana, Lewis Tan as Cole Young, and Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion. The movie premieres in US theaters on October 24, 2025. The post Mortal Kombat 2 Early Reactions Similar to Avengers: Endgame, Says Writer appeared first on - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Chris Evans' Candid Reaction to Learning Robert Downey Jr. Is Playing Doctor Doom: ‘Huh?'
While the latest addition to the Avengers movie series will feature a mixture of current fan favorites, former actors reprising their superhero roles, and new faces making their debut, it'll also have a significant villain twist. Longtime Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. is set to play the villain role, and will be Doctor Doom in the 2026 film Avengers: Doomsday. While it's a noteworthy change for Downey, the casting decision drew rave reviews from fans. Many Marvel fans are happy Downey is back for the upcoming movie, although the decision to flip the high-profile actor from being a core member of the Avengers to the next villain they face was still surprising. One name that found himself on the "surprised" side of reactions when the news broke was another former Avenger and longtime Captain America star, Chris Evans. Evans recently sat down with Screen Rant alongside Materialists co-star Dakota Johnson to discuss their new film. However, the topic of Downey as Doctor Doom was understandably a talking point, and Evans revealed his candid reaction to finding out the news. Johnson asked the million-dollar question many fans likely initially wondered by saying, "He's a villain now?" This led to Evans explaining his own one-word response to hearing that Downey would play Doctor Doom, and offering an interesting food metaphor for clarity. "When I first heard it, I was like, 'Huh?'" Evans admitted. "But it's almost like cheese and the crust. You're like, 'There's nothing more we can do with this pizza,' and then you're like, 'Oh, damn. You know? What else? What if we did this? (makes flipping motion). Whoa.'" While a pizza metaphor isn't quite the direction I expected Evans to go, he deserves some credit for uniqueness. Evans has repeatedly said he will not reprise his role as Captain America in Avengers: Doomsday, with the shield officially being passed to Anthony Mackie. As for Mackie, he stepped into the role for the 2025 film, Captain America: Brave New Evans' Candid Reaction to Learning Robert Downey Jr. Is Playing Doctor Doom: 'Huh?' first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 10, 2025
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Disney, Universal Slam AI Company As 'Bottomless Pit Of Plagiarism' In Scathing Lawsuit
Disney and NBCUniversal joined forces in the first lawsuit of its kind against the artificial intelligence image company Midjourney on Wednesday, accusing it of copyright infringement. 'We are bringing this action today to protect the hard work of all the artists whose work entertains and inspires us and the significant investment we make in our content,' Kimberly Harris, NBCUniversal's executive vice president, told CNBC. The companies' lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleges that Midjourney sought 'to reap the rewards' of Disney and Universal-copyrighted characters by selling an AI image-generating service 'that functions as a virtual vending machine, generating endless unauthorized copies' of their copyrighted works. 'Midjourney is the quintessential copyright free-rider and a bottomless pit of plagiarism,' the lawsuit reads. 'Piracy is piracy, and whether an infringing image or video is made with AI or another technology does not make it any less infringing.' Midjourney did not immediately respond to HuffPost's request for comment. The AI company made $300 million last year from its image service, which allowed subscribers to simply enter a text prompt to request any of the Disney or Universal characters to perform an action, according to the lawsuit. The AI then generates and displays a high-quality image of the character. The lawsuit lists several Disney or Universal-owned characters Midjourney generated, including Shrek, Darth Vader, Thanos from the 'Avengers' series, and the Minions characters from 'Despicable Me.' Horacio Gutierrez, chief legal and compliance officer for The Walt Disney Company, said in a statement to HuffPost that Disney's 'world-class IP is built on decades of financial investment, creativity and innovation—investments only made possible by the incentives embodied in copyright law that give creators the exclusive right to profit from their works.' He added, 'We are bullish on the promise of AI technology and optimistic about how it can be used responsibly as a tool to further human creativity.' The lawsuit contends that 'Midjourney could easily stop its theft and exploitation' of intellectual property since the AI service controls what copyrighted content it selects. However, Midjourney chose not to use copyright protection measures, even when Disney and Universal sent cease-and-desist letters, according to the suit. The lawsuit accuses Midjourney of promoting its AI tools using Disney and Universal characters, and says the AI company has already begun using such characters to train its video service. The companies are now asking for a jury trial to determine damages, which could include some of Midjourney's profits. 'Midjourney's bootlegging business model and defiance of U.S copyright law are not only an attack on Disney, Universal, and the hard-working creative community that brings the magic of movies to life, but are also a broader threat to the American motion picture industry which has created millions of jobs and contributed more than $260 billion to the nation's economy,' the lawsuit reads. College Student Allegedly Created Undressed Images Of Classmates With AI, Then Sold Them Top AI CEO Warns Lawmakers To Prepare For Tech To Gut Entry-Level Office Jobs Chicago Sun-Times Faces Backlash After Promoting Fake Books In AI-Generated Summer Reading List