Marvel Studios credited Scarlett Johansson, who has played Natasha Romanoff/ Black Widow since 2010, as the executive producer for Thunderbolts*. However, she recently set the record straight about having no involvement in the making of the movie and has told the studio to remove her name from the credits. She also revealed whether she watched the Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh)-led movie and shared her thoughts on it. Here are the details.
Johansson and David Harbour recently did a conversation for Interview Magazine, where one of the topics they discussed was the MCU's latest outing. It started with Harbour, who made his MCU debut as Red Guardian in Black Widow, joking about Johansson being the seventh unofficial Thunderbolt, as her character was "all over the place in the movie."
He said," It’s the opening day of a movie that basically you are the seventh Thunderbolt in. Your character is all over this movie…. You are an executive producer on it. Congratulations.”
To this, the Jurassic World Rebirth actress replied that she had asked Marvel Studios to remove her name from the EP credits as she wasn’t "involved."
Johansson made her MCU debut in Iron Man 2 and has been a prominent part of the original Avengers. In Endgame, she sacrificed herself for the Soul Stone, showcasing her bravery and heroism. Although she has exited the MCU, the appearance of her name in the credits as an executive producer suggests there might be contractual reasons behind it. However, Marvel Studios has yet to confirm the real reason behind the EP credits.
Joking about Johansson’s reply, Harbour further said, "You hated the movie that much?" Laughing, she responded, "No, you’re just wanting that to be the case." Harbour then said he thought she might be proud of them, to which Johansson replied she already was.
Thunderbolts*, released on May 2, 2025, has grossed over $375 million globally, making it another underwhelming box office outing for the MCU compared to its other high-earning movies.