Scarlett Johansson says she felt cagey working with enormous Marvel cast: ‘Your identity is wrapped up in this job’

By | Edited by Ritika Kumar
Updated on: Jun 11, 2025 08:05 pm IST

Scarlett Johansson discussed the challenges of working with large ensembles in Marvel films, feeling her role sometimes reduced to a mere plot device.

Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson opened up about challenges while working with a massive ensemble cast on the sets of Marvel films. Scarlett played Natasha Romanoff in films including The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War, and her solo spin-off, Black Widow. The actor said that working with an enormous cast made her feel that she wasn't doing any engaging work as an actor. (Also read: 95-year-old June Squibb gets 5-minute standing ovation at Cannes for Scarlett Johansson's Eleanor the Great)

Scarlett Johansson opened up about challenges while working with a big star cast in Marvel films. (AFP)
Scarlett Johansson opened up about challenges while working with a big star cast in Marvel films. (AFP)

Scarlett talks about working on Marvel films

The 40-year-old actor in a conversation with Interview magazine said, "Some of the films that I did for Marvel engaged my character more than others. Like in Captain America: The Winter Soldier with Chris (Evans), we were really dynamic," she said.

"In some of the other films, the cast was so enormous and there was so much plot to serve that you start to feel like you’re a device to move it along. And if you’re committed to five and a half months of that, it’s like, ‘Okay. I can’t paint my nails, I can’t get a haircut.’ These sound like silly problems, but your identity is wrapped up in this job for a long time, and if you’re not doing engaging work as an actor, you feel a little cagey sometimes," she added.

Scarlett's current projects

Scarlett was recently lauded for her directorial debut film Eleanor The Great, which made its world premiere at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard category. The film stars 94-year-old June Squibb in the lead role. Scarlett's other film, The Phoenician Scheme, premiered in the Main Competition. The actor's next film, Jurassic World Rebirth, is scheduled to hit the theatres on 2 July.

Stay connected with all the glitz and glam from the world of entertainment, right from Hollywood gossip to Bollywood chit chat. Also don't miss out on music buzz, anime scoops and OTT action.
Stay connected with all the glitz and glam from the world of entertainment, right from Hollywood gossip to Bollywood chit chat. Also don't miss out on music buzz, anime scoops and OTT action.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
SHARE
close
Story Saved
Live Score
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
Get App