Variety had the chance to talk with Scarlett Johansson about her involvement with Planned Parenthood, and since she stars as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they were legally bound to ask her about her role in that franchise. And her answers were a little surprising.
Johansson was long thought of as being a comic book fan before appearing in Iron Man 2, but it appears that was not the case:
The superhero genre was never a favorite, not that I didn’t like it. I liked all the Tim Burton “Batman” movies, but I wasn’t a big comic book fan growing up. I loved “Iron Man.” It spoke to me. I thought Robert [Downey Jr.]’s work was groundbreaking. It captured my attention as a person that isn’t normally a fan of that genre. It felt like we were making a big movie in a small way, or a small movie in a big way. It was an interesting challenge to be part of.
But it’s not that’s she’s not thankful for the opportunity:
I think for such a long time, I felt kind of pigeonholed as this ingénue — this kind of girl who is floating between two worlds. Maybe that was just a literal reflection of my life at that time. I’m a very curious person. I’m a really curious actor. The Marvel universe has opened up so many opportunities for me to stretch myself in ways that I never thought would be possible.
I think perhaps people at some point in the industry would have had a certain idea of my physical capability — sort of like a trap. And there was this label put on me as this bombshell. I think while it’s been flattering to be someone who is sexy, there’s something very confining about that. It implies that you’re strength comes from your sexuality.
Does she want a Black Widow solo film?
I would like for it to happen under the right circumstances. I think there’s a lot of opportunity to mine that story line. She’s got a really rich origins story. There’s a lot of places you can go — you can bring it back to Russia. You could explore the Widow program. There’s all kinds of stuff that you could do with it. You could really uncover the identity of who this person is, where she comes from and where she’s part of.
But not that the film will be an origins story:
It’s a possibility. There’s plenty of back story. Or not. It could be something else. Where do the Avengers go? They are underground. What happens then? What happens after it all falls apart? There are so many ways you can go. I think it would just have to be very much like its own specific thing. It would have to have its own specific vibe. It would have been totally different than any of the other standalone films. I think if the fans wanted it enough, then it would probably become a reality.
But, for the answer we all are after, has she been in discussion with Marvel about a Black Widow film?:
I talked to them about it often. It would have to fit in the idea of where they want to go. I’m invested in that character. Marvel is greatly invested in that character. If I did it, I’d have to do it while. I still actually wanted to wear a skin-tight catsuit. I don’t know how much longer that’s going to be.
So, there you go, Marvel. Get off your backside and get the movie rolling before Scarlett Johansson ages out of the catsuit.
