Scarlett Johansson recently voiced frustration about how studios handled The Apprentice, a film starring fellow MCU actor Sebastian Stan. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Johansson claimed the film was unfairly “buried” due to its controversial subject matter.
Stan portrayed Donald Trump in The Apprentice, which explored the President’s rise to power. Although Stan and co-star Jeremy Strong (as Roy Cohn) received Oscar nominations for their performances, the film struggled to find a distributor, eventually landing with the smaller company, Briarcliff Entertainment.
Johansson, who openly disagrees with Trump’s politics, suggested studios deliberately avoided the film because they feared political backlash:
“Here’s where you would go, ‘Okay, you can fight it by making stuff like that.’ But then, what happened with the release? It was buried.”
Despite positive reviews and notable awards consideration, The Apprentice grossed under $20 million worldwide—considerably less than other comparable dramas. Johansson sees this as evidence that Hollywood’s political concerns overshadowed the film’s potential success.
Johansson’s comments highlight her broader concern about the industry potentially avoiding controversial projects, emphasizing the importance of artistic expression free from political intimidation.