Stephen Dorff Regrets His Controversial Black Widow Comments

Original Blade star Stephen Dorff walked back his controversial comments about Black Widow and Scarlett Johansson. The longtime MCU actress released her first and last solo film for Marvel Studios, saying goodbye to the character of Natasha Romanoff by delving into the character’s mysterious past. Anticipation was high leading up to the film’s release – Black Widow would be the first MCU project to hit theaters in two years after the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019. It would also herald the beginning of the MCU’s theatrical side of Phase 4, the long-awaited beginning of a new era for the franchise.

Dorff didn’t see it that way, though. Days before the film’s release, Dorff trashed Black Widow, saying he would never want to be in a movie like that. He also went on to say that Black Widow “looks like garbage… like a bad video game,” before saying that he was “embarassed” for Johansson. The True Detective actor concluded his statement by saying he doesn’t want to be in movies like that, but would find the young director who would be the next Stanley Kubrick and work with them instead.

Now, when TMZ caught up to Dorff recently, the actor walked back his statements, saying that he was in a foul mood at the time of the initial interview. Dorff admits that he hasn’t even seen Black Widow yet and that he prefers darker superhero movies. However, the actor goes on to say that he ultimately feels bad about the comments and that Johansson is an old friend of his. Dorff reveals he sent Johansson a note after his comments, but he has yet to hear back from her. Check out his full statement below:

Oh, I love Scarlett. I think that was taken a little bit out of context. She’s a great actress. I just… I’m not a fan. I love Scarlett, though, I heard she’s going to be a mom so I wish her the best and she’s an old friend of mine so I felt bad about that comment.

I haven’t seen [Black Widow], I don’t really go to those movies. I liked Iron Man, I like when they go a little darker. I love the Joker. I’m looking forward to the new Batman. But, you know, that guy in England got me at a moment where I was just sh*t talking a little bit and I felt a little bad about it. Happens sometimes. I haven’t heard from Scarlett, but I sent her a little note, though.

When Dorff’s first comments surfaced, it certainly seemed ironic that he was bashing comic book movies considering he had starred in the Blade films years ago. Those are, by no means, critical darlings, with Blade sitting at 55% on Rotten Tomatoes, Blade II at 57%, and the final film, Blade: Trinity, at a solid 25%. Currently, Black Widow holds a score of 81% on Rotten Tomatoes. Regardless of critical reception, though, Marvel and superhero movies in general are no stranger to criticism and the TMZ reporter even asks Dorff about “Marvel Fatigue.”

Funnily enough, Blade is expected to make an MCU comeback, with Mahershala Ali slated to star as the titular character. The film recently found its director and is making headway on the production side of things, making a release in the next year or two seem likely. When asked about that in the video, Dorff says he is unlikely to be involved in the film, which isn’t surprising. Still, the fact that he walked back his comments about Black Widow should come as a relief to some, including Johansson, who has apparently known Dorff for years.

Source: TMZ

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Graeme Guttmann
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Graeme Guttmann is an editor, writer, and interviewer for Screen Rant. With a love for all things pop culture, he watches just about everything from the biggest blockbusters to reality shows like Real Housewives. He currently resides in Boston, MA where he is an MFA candidate at Emerson College for creative writing. You can follow him on Twitter @cryptograeme for pop culture commentary and random musings about pop music and just about anything else.

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