Scarlett Johansson Helps Save ‘SNL’ Cast From Thanos’ Snap In ‘Avengers’-Themed Monologue

Nellie Andreeva

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Saturday Night Live is a topical program, and this week Avengers: Endgame supervillain Thanos dominated pop culture after President Donald Trump tweeted a campaign video featuring him as Thanos using his reality-warping snap to turn leading Democratic lawmakers into dust.

With Thanos in the headlines and a real Avenger, Scarlett Johansson (aka Black Widow), hosting this week, it is no surprise that SNL featured an Endgame-themed opening monologue.

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Johansson started off with some self-deprecating one-liners. Noting that this is sixth time hosting, the A-list movie actress, who is engaged to SNL co-head writer/Weekend Update co-host Colin Jost said, “The sixth time is even more exciting than the fifth because you are not worried anymore. (If) the show’s bad, what are they going to do, fire my fiance? Oh no, what are we going to do without his paycheck?!”

She then welcomed Tweezil, her old Elf on the Shelf played by Aidy Bryant. But Tweezil quickly started disintegrating, followed by cast members Mikey Day, Beck Bennett and Bowen Yang who all turned into dust

“First Asian cast member and you guys are dusting me? Twitter is going to eat you alive,”Yang yelled as he disappeared.

Johansson recognized Thanos’ handiwork but was not prepared: “I left my Black Widow costume in the car!,” she lamented.

Among SNL‘s cast who were not made to disappear was Pete Davidson, who has taken quite a few weeks off this season. “I just think it’s one of those weeks where Pete doesn’t show up,” Cecily Strong quipped.

The topic was revisited a little later in the monologue when Keenan Thompson, who has been on SNL since 2003, asked Davidson about his frequent hiatuses.

“Yeah, if you have been here as long as I have, you can do that,” deadpanned Davidson, who has been been on SNL since 2014.

Said visibly angry Thompson, the longest-tenured cast member in SNL history,” Really?! Well, that’s good to know.”

In the Endgame-themed storyline, with Thompson as Nick Fury by her side, Johansson found Davidson in his office, wearing Thanos’ infinity stones-covered glove, which was a few sizes too big on him.

“I gotta stop getting high and buying stuff on eBay,” lamented Davidson, who has often discussed his pot use on SNL. Heeding the pleads by Johansson’s Black Widow and Thompson’s Nick Fury, Davidson, snapped the missing cast members back into the show from Peacock, where he had sent them. (Davidson broke the fourth wall for a plug of NBCUniversal’s upcoming streaming service.)

Everyone gathered on stage, and the holiday monologue turned quickly from a superhero movie to a romantic comedy when Johansson said, “This place means so much to me, and I met the live of my life here.” They kissed.

Watch the full video above.

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