Ray Winstone, who played Dreykov in Marvel’s Black Widow, has revealed just how frustrated he became with the studio’s insistence on reshoots. Speaking at the Sarajevo Film Festival, the veteran actor admitted he was so exasperated with Marvel’s demands that he even asked director Cate Shortland to recast his role. 
The response? A blunt reminder that he was under contract and had no choice but to redo his scenes.
Winstone recalled how, after finishing the film and feeling proud of his performance, he returned home only to be told that nearly all of his scenes needed to be reshot. “We worked hard on Dreykov, Cate and I, and it was probably the best work I’d done in years,” he explained. “Then I got the call – reshoot everything. I thought, ‘I’ve already done it. That’s rejection, you know?’”
The actor said stepping back into character after feeling he had already given his best was demoralizing. Marvel’s infamous reputation for extensive reshoots only added to the tension. Fans have long suspected the practice has weakened films, citing The Marvels and the reworked Captain America: Brave New World as examples of how constant tinkering can produce uneven results.
Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige defended the approach, calling it “plus-ing” – the idea that constant adjustments improve a film. But his remark that he has “never been satisfied with a movie we’ve released” raised eyebrows, with many interpreting it as a dismissal of the work put in by actors and directors alike.
For Winstone, the reshoot saga highlighted the creative tug-of-war between Marvel’s assembly-line precision and actors who want their performances respected. While he ultimately delivered the additional takes, his candid remarks underscore growing tension inside the MCU machine – one where perfection is demanded, but at a cost.
1 comment
I barely even remember Winstone being in that movie, that says it all