Black Widow actor Scarlett Johansson reveals the biggest challenge she faced while filming Iron Man 2
Scarlett Johansson, who plays Black Widow, discusses the most difficult obstacle she experienced while shooting Iron Man 2. Johansson originally appeared as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe over a decade ago, in Iron Man 2, which followed Tony Stark as he fought with both his fading health and a vindictive lunatic.
However, Johansson has starred in nine MCU films since her debut appearance in Iron Man 2, including the world-record-breaking flicks The Avengers and Avengers: Endgame, as well as her own standalone film, Black Widow. Both Johansson and Black Widow have gone through a lot in the larger MCU tale, including an implied romance with the Hulk and numerous hard combat scenes. Johansson said in a recent interview with Vanity Fair that her toughest hurdle making Iron Man 2 was having to prepare for major stunt work for the first time.
Interestingly, Scarlett was only in her early twenties at the time and says that she had "never stepped foot in a gym" before being cast as Black Widow. She said as per Screenrant, "That was a humongous moment for me because I was, I don’t know, 23 or 24 when I was cast in Iron Man 2. I had never stepped foot in a gym, and I had five weeks to prepare myself for these huge stunt sequences. Back then when we were doing it, over a decade ago, it was before we kind of figured out how to be most efficient in the process of shooting stunt work—what could be handed off to other stunt people and what the actor would practically need to know."
This comes as no surprise considering the antics Johansson has had to do throughout her stint in the MCU. It would be difficult for her to maintain her mental health if she was not physically prepared for the action demanded of Black Widow. The effort has clearly paid off, as Johansson has elevated the ex-assassin from a supporting character in Iron Man 2 to a fan favourite in one of the world's most successful series.
