Scarlett Johansson has been the actress for Black Widow or Natasha Romanoff for a decade now. But some Marvel fans may not be aware of the initial rejection to play the role.
Scarlett Johansson opened up about her character in an interview with Parade magazine. She revealed that she was only second to Emily Blunt who was the first choice for the iconic role.
Blunt had to decline the offer though due to conflicts in her schedule. That’s when Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau turned to Johansson to be in the movie that first featured Black Widow.
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No bad feelings about being second pick
Johansson gladly accepted the role that forever changed her life. She also said that she didn’t mind at all that she was just a second choice.
She was just excited to work with Favreau that she even told him to call her anytime as she’s an actor for hire.
“The best call you can receive is after you are rejected for something and then you get it,” she said. “You appreciate it more. I’ve basically made a career out of being second choice.”
The Marriage Story actress has been in the limelight since she was a teenager. But even with her experience in acting, she admitted that she has faced rejections in her life including that of being a second choice.
Johansson definitely made the right choice to accept the project under Marvel Cinematic Universe. She realized that playing as Black Widow was special. And she only came to realize how special it was after filming a scene in The Avengers in 2012.
It was during that moment when they did the iconic hero shot, the scene where Black Widown, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and the Hulk assembled. And indeed, that was the beginning of something big.
“We’re still processing how much of an impact these movies have had,” she said.
Her own stand-alone film
Hailed as the world’s highest-paid actress since 2018, Johansson is now gearing up for the biggest breakout of her character. Finally, a stand-alone film.
Agent Romanoff has appeared in eight Marvel films since 2010 but they had to wait a full decade to get a movie that will focus on the character’s backstory.
It’s undeniably quite a long time but for Johansson, the timing of Black Widow is perfect. She said that the upcoming movie is about “self-forgiveness and accepting decisions that were made for you.”
Scarlett Johansson also teased that the movie is a lot deeper than anything and would have not made much sense if it was made earlier.
Featured image courtesy of Marvel Entertainment/YouTube screenshot