Scarlett Johansson holds the record of the highest-grossing box office star, with her movies amassing a total of $14.3 billion.

Her billion-dollar projects include movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), where she played Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow. The Scoop actress played the role in nine MCU movies, including a standalone movie, Black Widow.

Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow
However, Johansson admitted that taking on the role in the Marvel films had the potential to either launch her career or jeopardize it. The Prestige actress felt the pressure, especially during the production of the first team-up movie, The Avengers.

Scarlett Johansson and Co-Stars Felt Uncomfortable Signing For The Avengers

The Avengers 2012
While Iron Man had provided a much-needed boost to the live-action superhero film genre at the time, it was The Avengers in 2012 that truly realized the dream of superhero team-ups. Since the concept was relatively uncommon in the industry, the major stars of the film were really nervous about signing up for such an ambitious project. Scarlett Johansson discussed the matter with co-star Chris Evans when they sat down for a conversation about Avengers: Endgame’s massive success with Variety.

Toward the end of their discussion, the two Marvel actors explored the roots of their franchise success. Johansson explained the pressure she felt when initially accepting the Black Widow role, especially since her partner at the time, Ryan Reynolds, was also venturing into a superhero role. Further, Chris Evans added that the franchise worked successfully because the cast got along so well. Johansson recalled the cast’s state of mind during The Avengers to Variety:

“It’s funny because even when we went on to do “Avengers,” the first one, all of us were totally… I think everybody was feeling very uneasy about the concept. It seemed, it was just so absurd.”
Both actors shared that they were blown away by the success of The Avengers. The film grossed a massive $1.5 billion at the box office worldwide, becoming the third highest-grossing film at the time of its release. It is currently the tenth highest-grossing film of all time.

Scarlett Johansson Felt Unbelievably Lucky To Have Been Part Of The $29.6B Franchise

Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans
Scarlett Johansson stated that the cast never thought the Avengers team would turn out to be such a big phenomenon. Interestingly, the two actors also mentioned that they were initially unaware of The Avengers project when they accepted their respective roles in different Marvel movies. Chris Evans further emphasized his point on getting to work with amazing co-stars and shared that if they had not enjoyed the working environment, the output would have suffered.

Johansson also shared her deep appreciation for the opportunity to work with such a great cast. The Lost in Translation actress shared with Variety:
“It’s been just, I feel unbelievably lucky to have been a part of something like that. It will be one of my treasured memories of life, just forging the kind of family, friendships that we had, with everybody, and experiencing the success of something like that with a group of people that you love, and are rooting for is basically the best possible way that that could turn out.”
Unfortunately, the Marriage Story actress’s tenure in the franchise ended on a bad note, after she entered into a legal battle with Disney over her earnings from Black Widow. The case was eventually settled out of court, with Johansson reportedly receiving more than $40 million in total compensation.

The Avengers is now available for streaming on Disney+.

Source: Variety