Scarlett Johansson Says Initially Losing Out on the IRON MAN 2 Role Was a Tough Spot in Her Career

Scarlett Johansson has wrapped up her run as Marvel’s Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow. After nine films in eleven years, it’s a well-deserved retirement. She is excited for the next chapters in her acting career, but it almost wasn’t her who played Black Widow for the first time in Iron Man 2 all those years ago.

Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada, Mary Poppins Returns) was first hired on in the role, and Johansson was turned down, but when Blunt suddenly had to drop out due to a contractual obligation with Fox, Johansson was ready to step in. She talked about the process of first being turned down and feeling pigeon-holed in roles in a recent profile with Variety:

“I got turned down for two roles — the first was ‘Iron Man 2’ and then the other one was Alfonso Cuarón’s ‘Gravity.’ I had wanted that role so much. It was sort of the straw that broke the camel’s back. I felt really frustrated and hopeless. Like, ‘Am I doing the right job?’ The work I was being offered felt deeply unfulfilling. I think I was offered every Marilyn Monroe script ever. I was like, ‘Is this the end of the road creatively?’”

She went on to talk about her feelings in getting the role:

“That movie wasn’t going to move the needle forward in terms of how my character was written, but there was potential for what it could be — a potential for growth in subsequent films.”

Potential, indeed! She made quite the run out of her Marvel character, and it was a great ride for fans to go on with her. I’m glad Johansson was a part of the MCU for so long. Now to get Emily Blunt back in!