Black Widow Star Scarlett Johansson Recalls Thinking Marvel’s The Avengers Would be “A Disaster”

Looking at it now, the Marvel Cinematic Universe seems like a no-brainer to anyone. Kevin Feige’s ambitious cross-franchise planning paid off in huge ways countless times over the past 10+ years. But what about in, say, 2010, when they only had three movies under their belt? Speaking in a new interview, Marvel star Scarlett Johansson opened up about the early days in the MCU and being pitched the idea for The Avengers after filming her debut in Iron Man 2. Speaking to The Gentlewoman, Johansson didn’t hold back saying: “Even the thought of all of us together in our superhero costumes sounded like it was going to be a disaster. Not a disaster, but, like, What is this? What is this?”

She came around though, and pinpointed the exact moment in filming the 2012 blockbuster that made her change her mind. “I remember doing that 360 shot, and we’re standing in the rubble of Grand Central or whatever, of this alien onslaught, and all of us are ready, like: Here we go, this is it. And then they showed us the playback, and I think that was the moment that all of us, finally, after six months of shooting, were, ‘Oh, this is going to work. I think this is going to work.’”

And boy did it work. The 2012 Avengers movie went on to gross over $1.5 billion at the global box office and set the stage for the next two phases of Marvel Studios releases. Johansson went on to reprise her role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infintiy War, and Avengers: Endgame. Even though her character made the ultimate sacrifice in 2019’s culmination event, she’s still getting her own solo movie (recently re-scheduled for a July 9 release date).

Despite getting to play the character one more time, the actress still thinks Marvel made the right call with her ending in Endgame.

“I love Natasha,” Johansson told Total Film. “She’s had an incredible 10-year journey, and I felt that she was finally able to make an active choice. It seemed very in-character, that ultimate sacrifice that she makes. She’s made peace with that, and, in some ways, has known that’s her destiny all along, in a weird poetic way. When you look back on the films, that’s in there. All the films have led her to that choice – or to be able to make that choice; or for it to be a choice.”

Watch Marvel’s The Avengers on Disney+.

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(H/T Cinema Blend)