Entertainment
Scarlett Johansson reveals plans to leave Marvel: ‘If you love something, you need to set if free’
Scarlett Johansson insists now is the correct time to be saying goodbye to her role as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in the Marvel films.
The actress, 36, stars as the title character in the upcoming Black Widow movie, set for release next month.
The star of the silver screen claims she is more than happy to leave the Marvel franchise while it is still going strong.
She told ComicBook.com: ‘Honestly, I feel like it’s always, it feels great to leave a party when it’s still raging and I think that this film feels very much like it’s alive and fresh and powerful and I feel really pleased with it.
‘I feel really happy with the work that we’ve done for this decade of time, and you know, it’s bittersweet to say, “Goodbye”, but if you love something, you need to set it free!’
Black Widow plays out events before the character was killed off in 2019 movie Avengers: Endgame, when she sacrificed herself so Clint Barton/Hawkeye could get the Soul Stone.
Meanwhile, Scarlett spoke out last week, blasting the sexualisation of Natasha/Black Widow in the Second Iron Man film.
The Hollywood star spoke of how the character was ‘talked about like a piece of ass’ during a chat with Collider.
She said: ‘All of that is related to that move away from the kind of hyper-sexualisation of this character and, I mean, you look at Iron Man 2 and while it was really fun and had a lot of great moments in it, the character is so sexualised, you know?’
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Scarlett added she was ‘really talked about like she’s a piece of something, like a possession or a thing or whatever — like a piece of ass, really.’
She discussed a scene in which Natasha triumphs over Tony Stark’s bodyguard Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) in a boxing match, with Tony Stark turning to Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and says ‘I want one’ in reference to Natasha.
Scarlett said: ‘Maybe I even would have, you know, my own self-worth was probably measured against that type of comment or, like a lot of young women, you come into your own and you understand your own self-worth.
‘It’s changing now. Now people, young girls, are getting a much more positive message, but it’s been incredible to be a part of that shift and be able to come out the other side and be a part of that old story, but also progress.’
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