Scarlett Johansson joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2010's Iron Man 2, and that means Black Widow beat the likes of Thor and Captain America to the big screen. Introduced as "Natalie Rushman," her true identity was revealed during the final act when her association with S.H.I.E.L.D. came to light.
Since then, the hero has become a mainstay of The Avengers franchise, and also took on a leading role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
After being killed off in Avengers: Endgame, Natasha returns for a Black Widow solo outing set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. In the Black Widow: The Official Movie Special Book (which is now on sale from Titan Books), Johansson opened up about why now is the right time to make a Black Widow movie rather than straight after her MCU debut.
"If we had made a Black Widow standalone back then, it would be such a different film to this one. Natasha's sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame gave me a totally different perspective on who she is," the actress explains. "Before, I don't think I would have been able to show people who Natasha really is, what drives her, and show her emotional core."
"I don't think we'd be able to cut that deep back then. It would have probably been much more of a straight-up spy thriller that maybe would have been a lot flashier in a different kind of way and just scratch the surface of what we do in this movie."
This definitely makes sense, though it would have been fun seeing how a Black Widow movie would have fit into those early Phase 2 or 3 plans. Fans have, after all, been demanding that this become a reality for years now, but we're going to have to wait until next May to watch it all play out.
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