Ray Winstone lashes out at Marvel following Black Widow experience

Ray Winstone thinks Marvel movies are taking away “from getting cultural films made”.

The 68-year-old actor starred in the 2021 superhero movie Black Widow, and Winstone has now said blockbusters like those in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) are “all about selling tickets”.

Speaking at the Sarajevo Film Festival, he said: “We see what’s happening in Hollywood with Marvel and all that kind of stuff … There is room for it, and it’s fun, but it takes away from getting cultural films made, which are best for the actors, [and] are really good acting parts.

“It’s getting more and more difficult to do that. If you’re not on social media now, they might not even consider you for a movie because they want a fanbase to come with that.”

The Sexy Beast star also recalled his experience making Black Widow - in which he starred alongside Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh and David Harbour as the villainous Dreykov - and said he struggled to get back into the movie after reshoots were ordered.

He recounted: “I worked with this amazing director, Cate Shortland, and we worked on what my character was going to be.

“He was like a [predator] running around all these girls, and they’d become black widows. We used to get applauded on set. It was probably the best thing I’ve done for a really long time.

“Then I come home after finishing the job and get a call saying we need to do some reshoots.

“I say: how many scenes? [Shortland] says ‘all of them.’”

Winstone revealed he then asked his character to be recast, but he was contractually obliged to return for Black Widow’s reshoots.

He continued: “So I said she should recast [the role], but I was contracted, so I had to do it.

“I go back, they do my hair all nice, put me in the suit, and I couldn’t do it. I’d already done it. I thought, ‘I’m not doing it now. I’ve done it. That’s how it’s going to be.’

“That’s rejection, you know? There’s nothing worse than doing something, leaving it on the floor, and then being told it’s not right.” 

The King of Thieves star added he hated the role social media plays in Hollywood now, and said it affects younger actors.

He ranted: “You have to go on Instagram, and I don’t want to go on f****** Instagram.

“I don’t know if it’s a good thing, but if it brings people to the cinema and creates new jobs, then I’ll do it.

“But I’d like to see more cultural films being made, that’s where good cinema is. From my point of view, anyway.”

Reflecting on what he called “cultural cinema”, Winstone spoke about the highlights from his acting career, including Gary Oldman’s 1997 drama Nil by Mouth.

He said: “Gary is probably one of the greatest actors to come out of our country. He wrote a script, and it was the best thing I had read at the time.”

Winstone praised Oldman, and dubbed him “the best director [he’s] ever worked with”.

He continued: “The film is about social issues and the places where we come from, and it was bang on the money.

“It’s about the underbelly of where I’m from. I don’t come from a family like that, but I’ve seen it and I heard it. It was a very brave bit of writing. When I read it, I got it.”