Exclusive: Scarlett Johansson Offered DC Role
We've exclusively learned that with Marvel behind her, Scarlett Johansson is moving forward with talks at DC.
Scarlett Johansson and Disney (and thus, Marvel) are on the outs. While the actress is still involved in her lawsuit against Disney, that’s business for her lawyers to sort out. For the actress and producer herself, the future of her career is likely heavy on her mind. She had future projects with Marvel that are now out the door. While she has a history of dramatic film roles, is that where she sees her future? It had seemed like she had an interest in building franchises in Hollywood. With the same thought in mind, one such major studio is swooping in at just the right moment. Our trusted and proven inside source has shared with us that Warner Bros has approached Scarlett Johansson and is talking to her about a future in the DC Universe.
What a smart move on the part of Warner Bros. We learned they were quick to approach her. Their timing is perfect since Scarlett Johansson previously had projects with Disney filling up her schedule. Now that she has room in her calendar, the studio has come in before she’s had an opportunity to plan for something else. They’ve also managed to jump in right at the time when Johansson is likely feeling betrayed by Disney. Not only did the company release Black Widow on streaming at the same time as its theatrical release in the first place, and then refuse to renegotiate her contract, they then issued a public statement shaming her for suing them during a pandemic. It’s hard to imagine a better way to stick it to Disney than to accept a role with DC.
However, there are a lot of other reasons for her to seriously consider a role at DC beyond revenge. We weren’t able to learn what role they’ve offered her, but DC has been applauded by James Gunn as a place where he had a lot of creative freedom. Scarlett Johansson is seasoned in the business. She’s a producer now. She isn’t the same woman who started played Black Widow in Iron Man 2. Taking her experience from Marvel and bringing it to the table at DC, where they may offer her more creative control, is likely a tempting offer.
When it comes to choosing her character, we know that Scarlett Johansson seemed reflective on the early days of Black Widow before her solo Marvel film’s release. She talked to Time about her character seeming like a sexist stereotype, a character “created for the male gaze”. She felt like Natasha was more than that, ultimately, but there were parts of her character that she saw differently after ten years. If DC offers her more creative freedom, she’ll likely take them up on that. This time around, she knows a lot more about what a commitment to a franchise like this means.
We weren’t able to learn how far along in discussions Warner Bros is with Scarlett Johansson. Will she be quick to accept and start moving forward with a new company? Or will she want more time to make a decision? One thing that seems certain: if she is interested in accepting a role at DC and creating a new future with a new character, she’ll be keeping a close eye on her contract negotiations.
