Scarlett Johansson, the acclaimed actress best known for being Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), was inspired to join Marvel after watching Robert Downey Jr.’s performance in “Iron Man.”
In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Johansson shared how Downey’s portrayal of the charismatic superhero in the 2008 film influenced her decision to take on the role of Natasha Romanoff.
“I just loved it,” Johansson said, recalling her reaction to “Iron Man.” “I’d never really seen anything like it before.” Although she wasn’t a typical fan of superhero films, she found the concept refreshing and groundbreaking.
Johansson’s journey to the MCU wasn’t straightforward. She met director Jon Favreau during the casting for “Iron Man 2,” hoping to play Black Widow.
However, the role initially went to Emily Blunt. Johansson admits that she felt the sting of rejection but couldn’t hold a grudge. Life moved on, and so did she.
A twist of fate brought Johansson back into the picture. Blunt had to drop out due to a scheduling conflict, opening the door for Johansson to take on the Black Widow role.
“I was super excited about it,” she said. “And I met with Jon again, and we had a funny conversation about how he had not cast me. But I was excited. I was so stoked.”
Since then, Johansson has become a prominent member of the Avengers and has recently completed filming for the first standalone Black Widow movie.
Now engaged to “Saturday Night Live” writer Colin Jost and a mother of one, she hopes the upcoming film will elevate the superhero genre.
“I mean, I hope that it can be both explosive and dynamic and have all that great fun stuff that goes with the genre,” she explained. “But I hope that we can also talk about, you know, self-doubt and insecurity and shame and disappointment and regret and all that stuff, too.”
The highly anticipated “Black Widow” movie, scheduled for release on May 1, promises to delve deeper into the complexities of the character and bring a new level of depth to the MCU.
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