When people think of the character Black Widow, they automatically think of Scarlett Johansson. However, before her big breakthrough as a superhero, she was not doing well, as she was close to quitting her profession after getting rejected for Iron Man 2 and Gravity.
Indeed, Scarlett Johansson had already had some roles before Iron Man 2. Think of something like Lost in Translation, where she starred alongside the 34 years older Bill Murray. After all, she has been acting in theater since she was 9 years old, thus gaining lifelong experience.
However, she was not happy with the trajectory of her career before Iron Man 2. Although she received much praise for her role in Lost in Translation; as she revealed in an interview with Variety, this success pushed her into a bombshell direction
.
I believe I was offered every Marilyn Monroe script that ever existed
As Scarlett Johansson recounts, she was very much reduced to her appearance at that time. She herself says she believes she was offered every Marilyn Monroe script of all time
. Especially the rejections at that time troubled her.
She auditioned for the 2013 science fiction film Gravity by Alfonso Cuarón. She wanted to play the role of Dr. Ryan Stone. However, she was rejected for the role, and Sandra Bullock played the character in the final film. She was also rejected for the role of Black Widow in Iron Man 2, as she explains in the interview.
I had wanted this role so much. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I really felt frustrated and hopeless. I asked myself: ‘Am I doing the right job?’
Scarlett Johansson about her desired role in Gravity (Source: Variety)
Actually, Emily Blunt was supposed to embody the superhero. However, the actress could not take part in the filming due to other contracts, as she was committed to the film Gulliver’s Travels. At that time, Scarlett Johansson wondered if it was the end of her creative path.
Ultimately, however, Johansson got a second chance and had a brief appearance in Iron Man 2. That was her big blockbuster success, and thereafter she became a permanent part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing in a total of 9 films.
Also, outside of blockbuster cinema, her career improved. She appeared in highly praised and creative films. For the films Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit, she even received Oscar nominations.
Thereafter, she learned to love her job again: “Suddenly I realized: I still love this job. And that reignited my passion for work. I felt less anxious.” On October 10, you can at least hear her in the English version of Transformers One: Transformers is getting a new movie this year, but the community doesn’t know how to feel about it
