It's hard to imagine anybody other than Scarlett Johansson playing Natasha Romanoff. However, the Black Widow star has confirmed that she wasn't initially eager to play the Avenger. Johansson has revealed that there were other comic characters she wanted to play when offered the chance to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
There is little doubt that people were thrilled when Johansson was cast as Black Widow in Iron Man 2 back in 2009. The excitement was well-deserved as Johansson's portrayal of the character had fans convinced it was perfect casting.
Although she has since played Nat in several MCU flicks, Johansson has confirmed Black Widow was just one of many Marvel characters she wanted to play. In the new book The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making Of The Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Avengers: Endgame star shared her other choices.
"I brought up some of the characters that I had researched that I thought could have some space in the universe," Johansson said. The book then notes that she was interested in playing Wasp or Blonde Phantom.
Of course, the role of Wasp eventually went to Evangeline Lilly. However, Johansson's introduction in Iron Man 2 would have also worked if she played Blonde Phantom. In the comics, Louise Grant is a secretary who moonlights as a crime fighter. Considering that Nat infiltrated Tony Stark's company by working as a secretary, the cover would have worked perfectly if Johansson was playing Blonde Phantom.
We would have loved seeing Johansson as Blonde Phantom in the MCU. However, it made more sense for her to play Black Widow considering that the MCU was aiming for the Avengers movies. Nevertheless, we're hoping that Louise Grant eventually becomes part of the MCU. Perhaps it could happen in the future.
Black Widow is now available for streaming for free on Disney+.
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