Scarlett Johansson’s Originally Wanted To Play These Characters….
Scarlett Johansson’s Role As Natasha Romanoff:
Scarlett Johansson’s portrayal of Natasha Romanoff in Black Widow was the final chapter in Natasha Romanoff’s Marvel Cinematic Universe saga, but there were other heroines the actress could’ve played. Black Widow made her debut appearance in the MCU in 2010’s Iron Man 2, flipping Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) and landing a job as Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) secretary. But, of course, she was only undercover and spying on Stark at the moment. Over the next decade, Johansson portrayed Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow as an important member of the Avengers. She rescued the Earth numerous times before giving her life to stop Thanos’ (Josh Brolin) lethal finger snap in Avengers: Endgame.
Who else wanted to play the role before Johansson joined?
Before Johansson agreed to play the Black Widow, several actors were considered. Natalie Portman, Jessica Biel, and Jessica Alba were said to be contenders for the role. However, in the MCU, Emily Blunt came the closest to portraying Natasha Romanoff. Unfortunately, owing to contractual obligations to Gulliver’s Travels, the performer confessed she had to decline the part of Black Widow. She, on the other hand, did not want to undertake Gulliver’s Travels and subsequently described her decision as “heartbreaking.” Though Johansson eventually took on the character of Black Widow, there were other possibilities.
What other roles did the actress wanted to play?
Johansson revealed her other MCU hero selections in the new Marvel Studios book, The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making Of The Marvel Cinematic Universe. “I brought up some of the individuals I had researched that I believed may have a place in the world,” she explained. The Wasp and Blonde Phantom were the other alternatives. Of course, the role she eventually portrayed, Black Widow, was also on Johansson’s wish list. However, the other characters would have provided more interesting alternatives.
Why Could Johansson So Easily Play The Blonde Phantom & The Wasp?
The Blonde Phantom might have easily replaced the Black Widow in the MCU chronology. The Blonde Phantom is a gender-flipped version of Superman in Marvel comics. She’s a quiet secretary who removes her spectacles and lets her hair down to transform into a masked superhero. Since Natasha Romanoff first appeared in the MCU as Tony Stark’s aide in Iron Man 2, replacing Blonde Phantom would have been a simple transfer. Wasp comes as more of a surprise as a replacement for Black Widow. The figure is one of the founding members of the Avengers in Marvel comics, therefore the hero may fit in perfectly with the MCU’s plot. However, Marvel had early ideas to do a Zooey Deschanel-led Wasp film with a lot of levity. Black Widow is one of the Avengers’ most serious members, with one of the darkest backstories. Her background as an assassin is a persistent weight on her shoulders throughout the MCU. Injecting more levity into Johansson’s MCU role would completely alter the performance and obliterate the Black Widow persona that fans have grown to adore.
Scarlett Johansson was born to play the role of Black Widow:
In the end, it’s difficult to picture Johansson portraying any other hero. Black Widow was the Avengers’ constant grownup, keeping a squad consisting of gods and nigh unbeatable warriors grounded. The character’s significance was highlighted further in Marvel’s What If…?, as she was one of the heroes chosen to protect the MCU’s Multiverse. Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff’s own tale, finally gave Johansson’s character the acclaim she deserved and demonstrated that she was genuinely irreplaceable.
Source: Screenrant
