MCU: 15 most perfectly cast actors in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Credit: Marvel Studios and Disney for Marvel’s The Avengers (2012) — Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow

9. Scarlett Johansson

Character: Black Widow

When Natasha Romanoff first showed up as the committed-but-somewhat-mousy Natalie Rushman, it was clear that she hadn’t even scratched the surface of what she was truly capable of. Eventually revealing herself to be an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Natasha was the formidable spy simply known as the Black Widow.

While her impressive feats and stunning skill-set are jaw-dropping to say that least, this femme-fatale’s greatest attribute is her screen presence. And you know what they say: Behind every great femme-fatale is an even greater actress, which is undoubtedly the case with Scarlett Johansson.

There are countless layers to Natasha Romanoff’s personality: covert spy, assassin-like soldier and team player (and heck, even Mr. Stark’s seemingly harmless assistant). Johansson has demonstrated on countless occasions that she’s more than capable of pulling each and every one of them off. In fact, she isn’t just capable of it, she thrives on it.

One of the finest performances she delivered undoubtedly came in The Avengers when Natasha tricked Loki into revealing all of his plans. She was firm at first (in a bid to bargain with him) before crumbling to tears, allowing him to unwittingly tell her what she needed to hear – and just like that, she turned it off. This scene alone is a microcosm of what Johansson brings to the role as, within a few seconds, she was effortlessly able to tap into the character’s multiple personalities. She can be commanding, sensual, violent, badass and emotional at the drop of the hat – and, quite frankly, anything the character requires her to be. In doing so, she has highlighted her range as an actress.

On the surface, Johansson’s Black Widow look is as comic-accurate as you can get. With her fiery red hair and all-black attire, the character looks every bit as formidable as her more super-powered colleagues, but its her compelling performance that keeps us intrigued in the character’s journey. As great as the character was on her own, it was Johannson’s badassery that took her to the next level.