After more than a decade, Scarlett Johansson is leaving the MCU. In that time, she contributed not only to impressive scenes as Natasha Romanoff but also to the female presence in Marvel films. She recently spoke about this in a podcast with Gwyneth Paltrow.
What significance did Scarlett Johansson have for the MCU? The superhero genre has changed significantly over the past 10 years, especially regarding the presence of female characters. It wasn’t until 2019 that Captain Marvel was released, the first film with a female lead at Marvel.
Since Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson has played the role of Agent Natasha Romanoff and is remembered for her skilled hand-to-hand combat techniques. Over time, she portrayed the character in eight Marvel films, showcasing not only her fighting skills but also her abilities as a hacker, protector, and spy.
Here you can see a trailer for Black Widow:
What was her start like at Marvel? Scarlett Johansson was warmly welcomed by her colleague Gwyneth Paltrow during her first appearance in Iron Man 2. Paltrow, who played Pepper Potts, expressed her joy at having another woman around:
“We were so excited that you were there, and I was so happy to have another woman nearby,” Paltrow said to Johansson in a podcast, according to our partner site 3D Juegos. Johansson recalls this and says: “You kept saying: Oh thank God!” and replied that she felt similarly later.
Other actors also talk about their experiences on set. The Luigi actor from the 1993 Mario film revealed quite a spicy detail.
Johansson wishes for more female representation
How did she feel as a woman at Marvel? When she was filming The Avengers, she was one of very few women. She felt the underrepresentation of female characters and describes the male-dominated film set as “a huge sausage party” (via Insider). She was one of the female stars advocating for a “purely female Marvel film.”
This group of actresses is incredibly powerful, and when they come together, it’s explosive and unstoppable. So yes, I advocate for it. I think the audience wants it, and I definitely belong to that.
Scarlett Johansson via Insider
In which Marvel films did she appear? Scarlett Johansson portrayed Natasha Romanoff in eight Marvel films. In another film, she appeared only in a post-credits scene.
- Iron Man 2
- Marvel’s The Avengers
- The Return of the First Avenger
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- The First Avenger: Civil War
- Avengers: Infinity War
- (Captain Marvel, post-credits scene)
- Avengers: Endgame
- Black Widow
Has Scarlett Johansson finished with Marvel? In the podcast with Gwyneth Paltrow, she stated that she has finished with her role as Black Widow. It thus seems unlikely that she will return to Marvel.
She said in the podcast to Paltrow, “I’m done. This chapter is over. I’ve done everything I needed to do.” Playing a character for over a decade has been a unique experience for her.
The scepter was passed in Endgame to her sister Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), whom we will see in Thunderbolts. And regarding female representation, we can look forward to The Marvels, which will be released in theaters at the end of this year.
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