- Title: "This is it" - Scarlett Johansson exits Marvel's movie franchise
- Date: 2nd July 2021
- Summary: UNIDENTIFIED FILMING LOCATION (JUNE 21, 2021) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR, FLORENCE PUGH, SAYING: "I hope I made people laugh. I think, I think the dryness of having the Russian accent, you really can't kind of smile when you're doing many of those things so I think maybe yeah, the bluntness of me being just outrageously harsh to Natasha may have been funny but I
- Embargoed: 16th July 2021 20:43
- Keywords: Black Widow David Harbour Disney+ Florence Pugh MCU Marvel Cinematic Universe Scarlett Johansson film
- Location: UNIDENTIFIED FILMING LOCATIONS
- City: UNIDENTIFIED FILMING LOCATIONS
- Country: USA
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Film,United States
- Reuters ID: LVA008EKQ0FGT
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: After numerous delays caused by the global pandemic, Marvel's character 'Black Widow' is finally hitting the big screen.
Scarlett Johansson reprises the role for the ninth time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), despite her character having died during 2019's 'Avengers Endgame'.
The prequel is set after the events of the 2016 film 'Captain America: Civil War' and catches up with the former assassin as she's on the run from government agents.
But fans hoping this isn't the last they're seeing of Johansson's Natasha Romanoff are going to be disappointed.
Johansson told Reuters via Zoom, "I think it's always great to leave on a high note and you know, I've really done all the work I can do with this and I feel bittersweet about it. I would, you know, love to continue working with Marvel in other capacities but I think this is it. This is it. You've got to set it free. It's part of the journey when you know it's come to an end."
The action starts when Romanoff is handed a box of mail left at a previous apartment.
Because of the contents of a package, she unwittingly becomes the target of the mysterious Taskmaster as well as a number of 'Widows'.
Johansson had stronger creative control than the other eight Marvel movies she appeared in because she was able to take on the role of executive producer.
"My main goal when we started was this is going to be the first Marvel film where the script is delivered, a deliverable movie before we start shooting," said Johansson.
She added "That's not the case in the Marvel world, it's not the case in most franchise tentpole movie world big studio movies. You're like working through the script and most of the time you start shooting and there's no third act or there's like huge plot holes."
The finished script allowed Johansson and her onscreen family, including father Alexei (David Harbour), mother Melina (Rachel Weisz), and sister Yelena (Florence Pugh) to rehearse and develop their relationships together on screen.
Early reactions to the film praise Florence Pugh's performance as the scene-stealing irreverent Yelena, who often pokes fun at the Black Widow and her fellow Avengers.
"We had our own teasing banter and fun gossipy asides and all that stuff," said Johansson, adding "It really worked itself into the film really seamlessly. I think it makes it very dynamic."
"The bluntness of me being just outrageously harsh to Natasha may have been funny but I definitely, I definitely smirked when the whole family got involved and they all shared the same sense of humor and timing. That was just perfect," Pugh said.
David Harbour plays a superhero not yet seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as he's out of shape and struggles to fit in his superhero outfit.
"When Cate (Shortland - director) pitched the character to me, it was him at the end of his life with all this regret and remorse and just this past his prime thing. I was like that's fun and I'll be able to sit around and eat doughnuts all day. It'll be fantastic," he said.
'Black Widow' goes on release in theaters and on Disney+ on July 9.
(Production: Rollo Ross) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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