Scarlett Johansson reveals there was an early weird version of Black Widow that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige refused to make. The release of Black Widow in theaters, and on Disney+ as a Premier Access title, has been a long time coming. Even before the movie was delayed more than a year due to COVID-19 and the state of the movie theater industry, whether or not the movie would even be made was a question that lingered over Marvel Studios and Johansson's future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Following Johansson's debut as Natasha Romanoff in Iron Man 2, fans wanted to see her get a solo movie like every other main Avenger (except Hawkeye). However, it took Marvel Studios roughly a decade to make Black Widow and get it right. The movie now serves as Johansson's swan song due to Black Widow's death in Avengers: Endgame, but it could've happened at various points in the past. Johansson and Marvel constantly talked about the possibility and floated different story ideas, especially once it was decided to actually make Black Widow.

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The story of Black Widow that Marvel Studios settled on follows Natasha after breaking the Sokovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War and reuniting with her Russian spy family to take down the Red Room. During a recent interview with MTV News, Johansson was asked how the movie changed over the years. She revealed some alternate story ideas that were considered by herself and Feige before landing on the family-centric story. This includes a version of Black Widow Johansson wanted to make that she says was weird and existential, but Feige wasn't on board with it.

There was a version of it that was very status quo. Yelena and Natasha are adversaries and Yelena's trying to dethrone her, like whatever spy espionage version [that] was. I was like, 'I cannot go back to work for this.' And then there was another version that I had developed that was really existential, kind of weird. And Kevin Feige was like, 'I don't think I can come into work for this' (laughs). It was weird, I liked it.

Natasha on a boat in Norway in Black Widow

Johansson didn't elaborate on what exactly her weirder pitch for Black Widow contained, but she is still a fan of whatever the idea was. As more time passes from the movie's release, perhaps she will open up a bit more about what could've been. In any case, it is always interesting to hear about alternate versions of Marvel's movies and their plots. It isn't surprising that Marvel discussed the "status quo" version Johansson teased, as Yelena being Nat's enemy and wanting to take her down is very much aligned with the comics.

Based on the reception to Black Widow, it largely appears that Marvel Studios and Johansson settled on the right story for the movie. She did admit in this interview that it took her some time to come around to the family storyline, though. Black Widow ultimately enhances Natasha's story in the MCU and sets up some exciting possibilities for the future. That future might not include the return of Johansson, but at least the movie introduced Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) to carry the mantle forward.

MORE: All 13 Marvel Movies Releasing After Black Widow

Source: MTV News

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