The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a tricky place. Because while the films consistently delight and enthrall audiences, they're still just regular jobs to the actors. Unlike typical movie roles, playing a superhero requires some particularly bizarre costumes, which are often so tight that the actors can barely move. This is definitely the case for Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow, who is usually wearing a skin tight leather situation that is packed with ammo and gadgets for the non-powered Avenger to utilize in battle. And while ScarJo always looks like a total badass as Black Widow, it turns out that the prospect of getting into costume was slightly horrifying.
Scarlett Johansson recently appeared on Bravo's Inside the Actors Studio. It was here that she opened up to host James Lipton about her trepidation around her super suit, saying:
Look at that thing. I mean, who wants to get into something like that? You just think, 'Oh god, really? Couldn't it have, like I don't know, some sort of a peplum skirt or something?' This thing is like very: there you are. It was also everything it represented. The character was so beloved. She's an iconic character. And I didn't know how people were going to take it. What the hell was I doing in this franchise? It was daunting.
I've got to say, I can't really blame Scarlett Johansson for being less than thrilled with Black Widow's now infamous costume. The process of getting in and out of the uniform is likely very involved, and there's no way the suit is comfortable.
But the costume has likely become a second skin for Scarlett Johansson, as she'd played the role of Natasha Romanoff for seven years at this point. The moment that Johansson is referring to is likely from her debut performance as the character in Iron Man 2. The Iron Man sequel was still very early into the MCU's development, and there's no way that the actress could have known how massive the shared universe would eventually become. She's since reprised her role in four more films, and will make her fifth appearance as Black Widow in Avengers: Infinity War. So while she might not have wanted to wear the suit originally, she's presumably used to it by now.
This isn't the first time that a female comic book actress has had to go to great length in order to squeeze into a skin tight supersuit. Michele Pfeiffer recently opened up about being vacuumed into her Catwoman costume in Batman Returns. And X-Men: Apocalypse actress Olivia Munn needed two dressers and a ton of lubricant in order to get into her costume for Psylocke. Now we'll have to wait to hear how the process is for Alison Brie's Captain Marvel.
The next installment in the MCU is Spider-Man: Homecoming on July 7th. Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow will make her next appearance in Avengers: Infinity War on May 4, 2018.
