“He’s an inspiration for me”: Scarlett Johansson Reveals Why She Accepted ‘Over-Sexualized’ Black Widow Role in Robert Downey Jr.‘s Iron Man 2

“He’s an inspiration for me”: Scarlett Johansson Reveals Why She Accepted ‘Over-Sexualized’ Black Widow Role in Robert Downey Jr.‘s Iron Man 2
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Scarlett Johansson in the role of Black Widow has won fans’ hearts over and over again. Her character was first introduced in the 2010 film Iron Man 2. Initially in the movie, she was playing the character of Natalie Rushman, personal assistant to Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark. But later on, it was revealed that she was a spy in disguise named Natasha Romanoff a.k.a the Black Widow.

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She was sent over by the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Nick Fury for working as an undercover agent at Stark Industries and keeping an eye on Tony Stark. Even though fans loved the assassin spy since the time she was introduced, Scarlett Johansson didn’t like the way her character appeared in her MCU debut.

Scarlett Johansson Thinks Black Widow Was Over-S*xualized

Black Widow in Iron Man 2
Black Widow in Iron Man 2

The Jojo Rabbit actress has played the role of Black Widow for almost a decade. She has been an essential part of the Avengers squad. But fans were quite disappointed with Marvel when they just sacrificed her for the soul stone in Avengers: Endgame. The fans still think that she should have been a part of the final battle. Her character was the first female superhero in the MCU and she paved the way for the other female characters to join the roster.

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Also read: “It was hard”: Scarlett Johansson Had Unpleasant Experience in Her $117 Million Movie When She Was Only 17 Years Old

Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson has never hesitated to give out her unfiltered opinions. Even though she found this opportunity to work with Marvel a great one, she also had grievances related to her character. As she felt in Iron Man 2, her character was “over-s*xualized”, but she still took on the role to work with the director of Iron Man 2 and Kevin Feige.

“I got this incredible opportunity to work in the second Iron Man, which that part at the time was very underdeveloped and over-sexualized, but I wanted to form a relationship with Jon Favreau who I worked with a couple of times after that, who’s an inspiration for me. And I also wanted to work with Kevin Feige, who’s the head of Marvel, who I knew had a vision for this big picture.”

In various past interviews, the Lucy actress has shed light on how her character was treated like “a piece of something, like a possession or thing”. But as the years passed, Black Widow’s character created a much positive impact on the young girls watching the films.

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Also read: “It just didn’t work out”: After Refusing Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, Emily Blunt Rejected Another Marvel Role Amidst Sue Storm Rumors

Scarlett Johansson Feels Black Widow’s Journey Has Finally Come To An End

Scarlett Johansson in Black Widow
Scarlett Johansson in Black Widow

Marvel fans finally got the Bravest Avenger movie after it got delayed almost three times due to the pandemic. Black Widow was released in the year 2021 and its story gave a redemption arc to the beloved character. It also welcomed some new characters in the franchise including Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Olga Kurylenko’s Task Master, and David Harbor’s Red Guardian.

The 38-year-old once sat down to have a conversation with Variety, where she spoke about the feeling of her final experience in a solo movie. She feels that her character arc is now finally complete with this final film and she is happy about it.

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“I still think of new ways I could try lines from movies I shot 10 years ago. I really am happy with the work I accomplished in my last decade-plus at Marvel. I feel like I’m going out on a high note with a movie I’m incredibly proud of. I feel like my work with Natasha is complete if that is such a thing. I’ve explored many facets of her person, and feel that her choice to sacrifice her life for her best friends was one that she made actively and with resolve.”

The newly introduced characters in Black Widow like Red Guardian and Yelena Belova will be reprising their roles in the upcoming Thunderbolts movie. Black Widow is now streaming on Disney+.

Also read: “The logistics of that seem so unappealing”: Scarlett Johansson Addressed Hooking Up With Marvel Star Inside a Lift Rumors Before Marrying Ryan Reynolds

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Written by Shazmeen Navrange

Articles Published: 110

Shazmeen is an author at FandomWire. With a degree in Mass Media and over two years of experience in the entertainment industry under her belt, she crafts insightful articles that offer a fresh and valuable perspective on Pop Culture and Hollywood. She has an unwavering enthusiasm for films, series, and all things Marvel, which demonstrates her deep-seated passion for the entertainment industry.