For the past decade, Scarlett Johansson has been one of the most integral and memorable parts of The Avengers and the MCU as a whole. But just because she makes it look easy, doesn’t make it so.
Scarlett has to adhere to several strenuous and hellacious rules in order to be Black Widow in the MCU. Have a look and check out these 10+ rules that Scarlett Johansson had to follow to play Black Widow .
1. Diet is everything.
You don’t get a superhero’s body without hard work. A huge component of looking good is eating right.
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Scarlett has described her diet of plain chicken breast and salad as incredibly boring. She also fasts for 12-15 hours at a time.
2. A willingness to travel far and abroad is a must.
Most of us tend to complain when we get stuck in traffic on our morning commutes. But can you imagine if your job up and moved to another country — or another continent?!
Such is the case for Scarlett, as the Black Widow movie was filmed in Norway !
3. She had to release the rights to her own image.
You can find the Black Widow logo smeared across coffee mugs and posters from here to Australia. Scarlett, and all her MCU colleagues, aren’t entitled to a dime unless it is in their contract.
Disney can use their faces and likeness however they see fit.
4. Scarlett had to play ball with the media.
This isn’t something that’s unique to Scarlett, but the treatment of female MCU characters is much different than their male counterparts.
For example, I’m pretty sure no reporter ever asked Captain America if he was wearing underwear beneath his suit.
5. Appearing at Comic Con isn’t an option.
All press tours can be grueling. But no fans or fandoms are more ruthless and unforgiving than comic book purists.
Since The Avengers is an integral part of the Marvel comic book universe, this means Scarlett must attend all the major conventions.
6. She’s not allowed to take on any roles in the DCU.
At least not as long as she was under contract with Marvel. Which is understandable, yet still a tragedy all the same.
Scarlett would be my first choice to portray Dr. Pamela Isley aka Poison Ivy.
7. Scarlett had to undergo serious combat training.
She often trains for months on end before filming even begins. Scarlett has become extremely proficient in boxing, as well as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu .
Because of her training, Scarlett is able to do the majority of her own stunts.
8. Scarlett had no creative control over the character.
Believe me, if she did that ridiculous black bodysuit would have been the first thing to go. Marvel isn’t looking for inputs on their characters. It’s their way or the highway.
Just ask Edward Norton.
9. She wasn’t allowed to smoke.
More specifically, Scarlett isn’t allowed to smoke in character. Disney outlawed smoking in all their films rated PG-13 and under back in 2015.
Since Scarlett doesn’t smoke in real life, I’m thinking she’s probably OK with this one.
10. Scarlett couldn’t sign on for just one movie.
Studios aren’t interesting in making one-shot films, they want to build a franchise! As such, Scarlett had to sign on for not just one, but six Black Widow film roles!
Now that her contract is technically up, could we see her in the DCU?
11. She had to be in peak physical conditions at all times.
Scarlett’s workout routine could put Olympic wrestlers to shame. She worked out five days a week and incorporates a variety of different weight training and cardiovascular workouts.
This is on top of her combat training regime!
12. Scarlett must always portray a superhero persona — both on and off-camera.
One of the most common ways Scarlett and her MCU counterparts give back is by participating in children’s charities all around the world.
Scarlett donates both her time and money in order to help kids realize their superhero dreams!
13. If you’re going to spoil something, be subtle about it.
Scarlett may have spoiled the ending of Avengers: Endgame without anyone realizing it. The jewelry that she’s wearing is an homage to Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet, with one glaring difference.
In Scarlett’s piece, the Soul Stone is in the center.
If you look at the placement of the stones in Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet, the Mind Stone is always at the center.
Could Scarlett have been trying to let us in on her sacrifice by placing the Soul Stone at the center?!
What do you think? Leave a comment and let us know!
