Scarlett Johansson disliked superhero films – till she became Black Widow

Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson is known far and wide for her most iconic portrayal of Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

However, what many may be unaware of is how the Iron Man 2 star was anything but a fan of the same superhero movies that boosted her career and earned her global fame.

In an earlier interview with Vanity Fair, Johansson revealed how it was Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man that eventually got her hooked to superheroes.

“I just loved it. I’d never really seen anything like it before. It was not particularly that I was a fan of superhero stuff, or that genre, but it seemed groundbreaking,” she said.

“I wanted to work with Marvel. It seemed like an exciting place to be,” she added.

“I was a huge fan of the first movie and was quite ‘geek-ed’ out at being part of the second one.”

“I just wanted to be a part of Iron Man so I really researched the comic books and came in with some ideas of my own about how to develop the character. I see her as being determined and ambitious,” she added.

Johansson was eventually roped in for the part after the makers’ first choice, Emily Blunt, turned it down.

Addressing the fact that she was the second choice for the film, she told Parade magazine earlier this year: “The best call you can receive is after you are rejected for something and then you get it. You appreciate it more. I’ve basically made a career out of being second choice.”