15 surprising facts you didn’t know about Black Widow

Multiple A-list stars could have played Black Widow

Since her debut back in Iron Man 2, Johansson has become the face most people associate with Marvel’s Black Widow. She portrayed the character for more than a decade, and her legacy will live on long after her character’s death in Avengers: Endgame. 

Of course, Johansson wasn’t the only well-known actor to audition for the role of Black Widow. Several other stars were considered, including the MCU’s Natalie Portman. Obviously, Portman didn’t end up taking the part in the end, though she was later cast as Jane Foster in 2011’s Thor. She’s since gone on to take up Thor’s hammer herself, meaning fans get to enjoy both Johansson and Portman as Marvel heroes, a win-win for everyone involved.

In addition to Portman being in the running to play Black Widow, Angelina Jolie was also high on Marvel’s list of contenders. This didn’t pan out either, though Jolie will be making her debut in the MCU as Thena in Marvel’s Eternals. 

Several other actors also could have become the MCU’s Black Widow, including Emily Blunt, who was Marvel’s first choice for the role, Jessica Biel, and Jessica Alba.

In the end, it’s probably a good thing none of Marvel’s other options for Black Widow worked out — after all, it’s difficult to picture anyone pulling off Natasha Romanoff as well as Johansson. In hindsight, she was the right fit for the role. In a different branch of the Sacred Timeline, however, the film franchise’s Black Widow could be very, very different.