Scarlett Johansson is swapping spy gear for survival mode in the upcoming Jurassic World Rebirth, the latest entry in the dino-fueled franchise. The former Avenger is ditching the red ledger for raptors, and as it turns out, her journey from upcoming Marvel movies to Isla Nublar (well, metaphorically speaking) wasn’t just fate. The actress is set to tango with dinosaurs on the 2025 movie schedule, and we can kinda sorta thank her Marvel fanbase for that.
In a chat with Vanity Fair, Johansson admitted her childhood obsession with Jurassic Park ran deep, but it was the impact of Marvel fans, especially the little girls who idolized Black Widow, that pushed her to go after a role in the dino saga actively. She shared:
Obviously with all the Avengers stuff you meet so many fans who are profoundly moved by the characters and the world that you’re a part of. I get it. It’s always wonderful to meet people like that. I probably should have just told him. But I was like, ‘Just be professional. Don’t seem desperate. Don’t mention the tent.’
The "him" in question was Steven Spielberg. When the actress finally met the legendary director and producer, she wanted to keep things chill. Back in 2020, Scarlett Johansson got a sniff of her dino destiny but couldn’t grab it. While she was doing reshoots for Black Widow at Pinewood Studios in the UK, she found herself just a soundstage away from Jurassic World Dominion. She could hear the raptor screeches, but she wasn’t close enough to jump into the Jurassic Park franchise’s expansive universe.
But it wasn’t until a casual sit-down with Steven Spielberg, just a general meeting about future ideas, that she finally got to unleash her inner dinosaur nerd. She continued:
I hadn’t really sat with him and talked about work, and we spent hours just catching up and chatting, and then at some point, many hours into it, he was like, ‘Wait, we’re supposed to talk about Jurassic. Do I hear you’re a huge superfan?’ I said, ‘It is actually true. I’m confirming. I’m a huge superfan.’ I was like, he’s going to think I’m this weird stalker.
Roughly a month after chatting with Spielberg, Johansson had the script from David Koepp in her hands, and she wasn’t just reading it; she was workshopping it. She came in hot with character notes, not content to play another gun-for-hire.
Her character, Zora Bennett, started as a typical mercenary type, but with Scarlett’s input, she gained more depth and personality. This isn’t just another monster movie. The team behind Rebirth, featuring producer Frank Marshall and executive producer Steven Spielberg, is cranking up the tension. Gareth Edwards, who directed Rogue One and The Creator, is at the helm and is focusing heavily on the horror aspects that made the first movie so beloved.
Rebirth introduces freakish new dino-hybrids, less science fair and more fever dream. Think a T. rex crossed with a xenomorph, maybe a dash of Star Wars’ rancor thrown in. It’s not just bigger and badder, it’s built to unnerve.
And for Johansson, it all circles back to the fans. Years of meeting kids dressed as Natasha Romanoff left a lasting emotional impact. Now, she’s at the heart of what might be the scariest chapter yet. And if all goes well, little girls might soon be suiting up as Zora Bennett, too.
While we’re all waiting for more news on Rebirth, fans can dive back into the Jurassic series. You can binge the original trilogy with a Hulu subscription, and can catch the latest movies from the World trilogy with a Peacock subscription. It’s a great time to relive some of the best flicks from the ’90s and 2020s as we gear up for a summer packed with dinosaurs!
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