With Emily Blunt possibly bowing out of “Iron Man 2” to star in “Gulliver’s Travels,” Marvel Studios has scoured Hollywood in search of their ideal Black Widow. Entertainment Weekly claims they have the inside track on this search, and that Scarlett Johansson is the lead candidate for the role. It’s assumed the Black Widow would be a love interest and personal assistant to Tony Stark in the film, from released information on the character, but Natasha Romanoff is also a Russian spy in the comics, one who eventually switches sides and fights with the Avengers.
That likely means Johansson would also be signing on to 2011’s “The Avengers,” which would likely feature her being outclassed by the likes of Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle, maybe William Hurt, possibly Edward Norton and whomever else Marvel can snag on their tight, tight budget. Frankly, the idea of Johansson as a seductress in tight leather sounds great, but the idea of her trying a Russian accent sounds worrisome. Johansson’s been kryptonite lately, picking a lot of dubious projects and being severely outacted in even the most ignomious ones. Hard to say her inclusion in “Iron Man 2” doesn’t reek of desperation on the part of both parties.