In 2019, the world lost one of its greatest superheroes, Natasha Romanoff (as played by Scarlett Johansson), in an unforgettable moment of self-sacrifice from Avengers: Endgame. Of course, this occurred amid the announcement of a Black Widow solo movie (later revealed to be prequel), but that did not tarnish the heartbreaking impact of her passing. It also makes a fan wonder who ScarJo could play in DC movies.
The Academy Award-nominee is an actress of stunning versatility, balancing a shared universe of comic book movies with allegorical arthouse alien invasion pictures, World War II satires, undersea animated adventures, and plenty more that few celebrities can fit into their schedule or, more importantly, their range of performance. That being said, there is no reason why Scarlett Johansson should not be able to make the ultimate transition from an MCU icon to a DCEU goddess, especially with the Avengers-sized hole that is about to be left in her future.
Before we officially say a final goodbye to Natasha Romanoff in Black Widow, why not help Scarlett Johansson decide on her next big comic book movie role with DC characters for whom she easily fits the bill. Six ladies of great power, or even great evil, come to mind.
Power Girl
One DC character who has yet to be given a proper introduction into a live action setting has probably never had the privilege due to similarities to her Prime Earth counterpart Supergirl. Admittedly, Power Girl was originally conceived as an alternate version of Kara Zor-El (instead spelled Kara Zor-L), but is not an exact duplicate, particularly for having a few differing Kryptonian abilities and a vastly different costume. What convinces me that Scarlett Johansson would be a perfect choice to play her, however, is her performance in Under the Skin as a female alien struggling to find her purpose on Earth, which mirrors Kara's early comic book evolution.
Hawkgirl
One of the more recognizable aspects of Black Widow as a hero is her fighting skills that invoke an almost balletic flair, which is fitting since she was also trained as a dancer. While that sort of choreography works for Scarlett Johansson in the aesthetically lighter and clean cut MCU, an induction into the DCEU might take a fighting style that is more rough, and almost medieval, much like Hawkgirl, one of the first female superheroes introduced into DC comics. Famous for her use of primitive weaponry, flight by artificial wings, and a striking, bird-like cowl, this is one badass Justice League member (most recently portrayed on the Arrowverse by Cirara Renee) who is a force to be reckoned with.
Big Barda
A DC hero of similar fashion sense to Hawkgirl is Big Barda, a member of the race of New Gods who is also a native to the planet Apokolips. She is a warrior goddess, much like Wonder Woman, but is literally bigger (about 7 feet tall), potentially stronger, and has a much more devastating choice of weapon, which would make their meeting one exciting team-up in a future DCEU film. Yet, her initial introduction will more likely come in the form of an upcoming The New Gods movie helmed by Academy Award-nominee Ava DuVernay, which still has yet to be cast, and given the A Wrinkle of Time director's connection to Disney, she should have the means to easily get ahold of Scarlett Johansson's number.
Lady Blackhawk
I cannot help but imagine that there had to be a few members of the Avengers who were jealous of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) for his eyepatch. There is no way of proving if Natasha Romanoff ever felt that way, but she did work more closely with him than much of the crew, so seeing her in an eyepatch just to enhance her badass appearance would not have been a surprising sight in a Marvel movie. A way Scarlett Johansson could achieve this hypothetical dream in a DC movie would be playing aeronautical engineer Natalie Reed, otherwise known as the current Lady Blackhawk, who, like Black Widow, is an accomplished intelligence agent with Russian citizenship who would make a wonderful addition to Steven Spielberg's Blackhawk movie... or would have, at least.
Emerald Empress
For her hypothetical DCEU transition, Scarlett Johansson could also benefit from playing a character associated with a different color, and maybe a whole new shade of personality, for that matter. To kill two birds with one stone, I would recommend Emerald Empress, whose current iteration is a 30th-century Venegarian named Sarya whose alias and superhuman powers of flight, energy projection, and more come from the Emerald Eye of Ekron, which she, unfortunately, uses for sinister purposes. She most recently appeared in the animated 2019 DC film Justice League vs. the Fatal Five, but has also worked alongside the Suicide Squad, so if James Gunn's reinterpretation (or whatever we should call it) should prove successful in continuing the franchise, that could be her ticket to live action, as portrayed by ScarJo.
Poison Ivy
However, if there is any DC supervillain that most actresses would most commonly dream of playing, it is undeniably Pamely Isley, who lives up to the title of her half-woman, half-plant alter ego by getting Batman hot and bothered, and not just with her enticing looks. Rumors that Matt Reeves' upcoming film starring Robert Pattison as the Dark Knight is inspired by Jeph Loeb's beloved graphic novel The Long Halloween would suggest that an appearance by Poison Ivy is not out of the question. Even if The Batman does not see sinister seductress' first cinematic moment since Uma Thurman's otherwise well-meaning effort in Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin, a new redeeming interpretation would be much appreciated and Scarlett Johansson has the look and talent to be the top choice.
What do you think? Are these the DC characters that Scarlett Johansson was born to play, or should I prepare to suffer Black Widow’s bite? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for more information and updates on the Marvel actress, as well as other hypothetical comic book movie casting calls, here on CinemaBlend.
