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Scarlett Johansson slams Oscars for ‘Avengers: Endgame’ snub — reveals if she’ll return to franchise

Scarlett Johansson is calling out the Academy.

The actress, 40, shared her shock at “Avengers: Endgame” never being nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture.

“Black Panther” is the only Marvel flick to land an Oscar nod in the coveted category.

Scarlett Johansson for Vanity Fair's June 2025 cover story.
Scarlett Johansson for Vanity Fair’s June 2025 cover story. Lachlan Bailey / Vanity Fair
Scarlett Johansson.
Scarlett Johansson. Lachlan Bailey / Vanity Fair

“How did this film not get nominated for an Oscar?” Johansson asked during an interview with Vanity Fair  on Wednesday about the movie that only received a nom for visual effects.

“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.”

Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff.
Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff. ©Walt Disney Co./courtesy Everett / Everett Collection

“Endgame,” which came out in 2019, saw the death of Johansson’s Black Widow. The star had portrayed the fictional character named Natasha Romanoff since 2010’s “Iron Man 2.”

Natasha’s sister, Yelena Belova, is played by Florence Pugh. The English actress, 29, reprised her role in “Thunderbolts*,” which has already neared $280 million at the box office after its second weekend in theaters.

“It would be very hard for me to understand in what capacity [returning] would make sense for me, for the character that I play,” Johansson explained. “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.”

Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton.
Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton. ©Walt Disney Co./courtesy Everett / Everett Collection

Along with snubbing “Avengers” in 2019, the “Fly Me to the Moon” star had another issue with the Oscar’s most recent ceremony.

“Why was it so long?” Johansson quipped, to which Vanity Fair noted that the James Bond tribute was a long moment during the show.

The director replied: “No comment. It felt like an ad placement. What a weird thing. People were like, ‘What the hell was that?’”

During an interview with InStyle in March, Johansson doubled down on not returning to the Marvel universe.

Brie Larson, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans and the character Rocket, voiced by Bradley Cooper, in a scene from "Avengers Endgame."
Brie Larson, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans and the character Rocket, voiced by Bradley Cooper, in a scene from “Avengers Endgame.” AP
Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Karen Gillan, the character Rocket, voiced by Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd and Scarlett Johansson in a scene from "Avengers: Endgame."
Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Karen Gillan, the character Rocket, voiced by Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd and Scarlett Johansson in a scene from “Avengers: Endgame.” AP

“Natasha is dead. She is dead. She’s dead. Okay?” she told the outlet at the time. “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.”’

Johansson’s character was last seen in the 2021 prequel “Black Widow.”

That same year, the Oscar nominee filed a lawsuit against The Walt Disney Company, alleging that the film being released in both theaters and on Disney+ was a breach of contract. Johansson claimed that the deal was to release the project in theaters only. The parties reached an undisclosed settlement months later.

Scarlett Johansson.
Scarlett Johansson. REUTERS

The next film in the franchise, “Avengers: Doomsday,” hits theaters in May 2026.

Johansson, meanwhile, will next star in “The Phoenician Scheme” on June 6 and “Jurassic World: Rebirth” on July 2. She also directed “Eleanor the Great” starring June Squibb, which is premiering at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.