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Emily Blunt was Actually First Choice for Black Widow Role


It might be difficult to imagine anyone other than Scarlett Johansson playing Black Widow for Marvel, but the Avengers: Endgame star says that she actually wasn't the first choice for the role.

Speaking in an interview with Vanity Fair, Johansson revealed that A Quiet Place actress Emily Blunt had actually been the very first chosen to be Natasha Romanoff in Iron Man 2. However, the deal fell through between the actress and Marvel. That's when Johansson jumped at the opportunity to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

"I was visiting my husband at the time at work," Johansson explained, "I remember being in a random hotel somewhere. And I got that call and I was so, so disappointed. And then that was it. You know, life went on. I mean, I've certainly had enough experience of rejection."

One of the biggest reasons why Johansson wanted the role was because of Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige's personal vision for the movie. Johansson really fell in love with the entire idea of Black Widow, and so she was shocked when she learned that she didn't get the part after all the auditions. However, Johansson wasn't one to give in. When she learned that Blunt wasn't going to take the role, the actress stepped in.

"I'm not one to hold a grudge or anything," elaborated the actress. "I was super excited about it. And I met with Jon again, and we had a funny conversation about how he had not cast me. But I was excited. I was so stoked."

Johansson and Blunt's careers could have gone so differently had the AQuiet Place actress taken the role.

Right now, Johannson is coming off fresh from the production of Black Widow which just recently wrapped up. It's going to be the very first standalone movie for the Avenger, and we're excited to see Johannson return to the role after the sacrifice Natasha made in Avengers: Endgame.

Black Widow premieres May 1, 2020.

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