Black Widow is a beloved character in the MCU and was first woman Avenger to be featured in the franchise. She has appeared in multiple MCU movies beginning in 2010’s Iron Man 2when Scarlett Johansson won the role of Natasha Romanoff, a role she would reprise multiple times throughout her tenure with the MCU.
2021 saw the release of Black Widow, Johansson’s first and only solo film for her character, which was bittersweet for fans. On the one hand, audiences loved finally being able to see a woman-led MCU movie – Black Widow was only the second film, after Captain Marvel, to do so – but, on the other hand, some felt it took too long for it to happen, considering Natasha was an original member of the Avengers. Nevertheless, Black Widow proved to be successful, thanks in large part to its incredibly talented cast. From Johansson and Florence Pugh to Rachel Weisz and David Harbor, the performances were all top-notch. Here are nine things you may not have known about the cast.
9 Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh Were Both Very Anxious and Intimidated by Each Other Before They First Met
Florence Pugh spirit Scarlett Johansson are two successful actors who play adopted sisters in the film. They each had a lot of buzz around them and were extremely popular prior to shooting Black Widow. So much so that, before filming began, neither of them had met each other before and both recounted in an interview that they were separately nervous to meet each other because of both of their work ethic and reputation. However, per People, they quickly overcame this nervousness and were instantaneous friends.
8 Florence Pugh Can Sing and Play Guitar
Florence Pugh is now a world-renowned talent known for her acting ability, with her breakthrough in hugely successful films like Little Women spirit Midsummer. Before she appeared in these films, as a teenager, she enjoyed recording herself playing covers on the guitar and uploading them to YouTube, as outlined by MTV. She would cover songs by The Lumineers, Oasis, and Jack Johnson – all of which are still available on YouTube.
7 Rachel Weisz Has A Degree From Cambridge
Rachel Weisz is a British actress who has a string of hugely successful blockbusters under her belt. Before she broke through in the world of acting, she attended Cambridge University, eventually graduating with a 2: 1 in English Literature. She was very successful at university and created a drama group that would win a Guardian Award for a performance at the Edinburgh fringe.
6 Scarlett Johansson’s Mother Was Originally Her Manager
Scarlett Johansson began her career in Hollywood at a very young age, and her mother, Melanie Sloan, was initially her manager. However, she was let go from this role in 2009. Johansson revealed that the decision was inspired by her increased desire for independence after her first marriage ended as well as a lot of legal issues that occurred behind the scenes.
5 David Harbor Disliked Stranger Things’ Title
David Harbor plays Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian and is widely known for his role as Jim Hopper in Stranger Things, and we have seen his character become an integral part to the plot. The series has been hugely successful and is one of the most streamed of all time on Netflix. Fans of the show may know that Stranger Things was not always the agreed title, and at one point the agreed title was Montauk. Harbor admitted that he preferred the original title and was not a fan of the name change.
4 Florence Pugh’s Brother Starred in Game of Thrones
Florence Pugh is now a household name, but some may not know that her brother, Toby M. Pugh, is also a successful actor. He appeared in Game of Thrones as Sebastian, appearing in six episodes during the fifth season of the show as Trystane Martell.
3 David Harbor Graduated From Dartmouth College
David Harbor is now a well-established actor who has appeared in countless successful titles throughout his career. It may not be as well known how prestigious his educational background also is. Harbor graduated from Dartmouth College in 1997, which is a huge accomplishment given how difficult it is to gain admission into the school.
2 Olga Kurylenko Began Her Career as a Model
Olga Kurylenko stars as Taskmaster, and although she is now a well-established actress, she gained her break into the industry at the age of 13 when she was scouted by an agent and began her successful career as a model.
1 Scarlett Johansson Was Rejected From Film School
Scarlett Johansson and film are now a winning combination, so it’s crazy to think that there was a time when she would ever be rejected from any kind of film-related institution. Even though she made her film debut at the age of nine, this was not enough to ensure her admission to New York University’s film school. She stated that this was likely due to the fact that she did not answer the math questions that the application required.
