Not Only Sue Storm but Emily Blunt Nearly Starred as Black Widow, Captain Marvel, and Peggy Carter in the MCU

Emily Blunt’s versatility, wit, and sophistication have kept her in the mix for coveted female superhero roles for years. But due to scheduling conflicts preventing her commitment, she narrowly missed out on the opportunity to spearhead multiple Marvel Cinematic Universe franchises that later propelled other actresses to stardom.

With poise and perspective, Emily Blunt reflects on nearly leading the Marvel Cinematic Universe as elite heroes like Black Widow and Captain Marvel before timing issues led those career-making parts to ultimately go to other deserving actresses. Though disappointed she couldn’t work out the logistics at the time, Blunt maintains gratitude, not jealousy, towards peers who shone in the roles.

Emily Blunt’s Early Contention for Black Widow

Long before Scarlett Johansson donned the red mane and leather to debut Black Widow in 2010’s Iron Man 2, Emily Blunt was the original top choice for the part in the mid-2000s. “Come on, the best girl got it,” Blunt said on a podcast about Johansson, adding that she was “amazing”.

In an interview from 2019, Blunt said on The Howard Stern Show that she was “contracted to do Gullever’s Travels” in 2010 despite not wanting to do it. “It was a bit of a heartbreaker for me because I take such pride in the decisions that I make, and they mean so much to me, the films that I do, so that was tough,” she said of turning down the Marvel role.

“They (Fox) kind of have a bit of a hold over you. There were other movies that I would want to do.” But with filming conflicting with another project, she reluctantly passed, allowing fellow rising star Johansson to land the career-defining role as Natasha Romanoff instead.

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Considered for Captain Marvel and Sue Storm Too

Beyond Black Widow, Blunt was also discussed for Captain Marvel years before Brie Larson‘s casting. Scheduling again precluded Blunt from taking the part. “Rumors. Talk. Queries. That kind of thing,” Blunt said of the rumors, noting that she never met with producers or directors of the films.

Rumors additionally floated about Blunt as Invisible Woman aka Sue Storm in the planned Fantastic Four reboot before its cancellation. Her busy calendar again was an obstacle.

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Maintaining Perspective on Lost Opportunities

While Black Widow propelled Scarlett Johansson to Marvel stardom, Blunt reflects philosophically on missing out. “I love Iron Man and when I got offered Black Widow I was obsessed with Iron Man,” she noted.

Blunt adds she bore no ill will toward peers like Johansson who benefited from her unavailability. Respect for their work prevailed over envy.

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Through quirks of timing, Emily Blunt just missed out on leading several Marvel franchises. But the acclaimed actress treasures seeing those parts go to deserving peers. With Black Widow a massive $80+ million hit for Johansson, Blunt exhibits grace in seeing how things were meant to be.

Source: Deadline