Black Widow: Scarlett Johansson details costume idea that was ‘quickly killed’ for early version of character

Costume was discussed for ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’

Scarlett Johansson has detailed a proposed Black Widow costume that was “quickly killed” in the earlier stages of the character’s development.

The actor spoke to Fatherly to mark the release of Black Widow, the first standalone Marvel film dedicated to her character, now out in the US and in the UK.

She said the costume in question surfaced during the making of the 2014 Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the third film in which she portrayed Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (after Iron Man 2 in 2010 and The Avengers in 2012).

“When we were doing Captain America: The Winter Soldier — this is a really funny thing — the look is fantastic and utilitarian,” Johansson told Fatherly.

“She first drives up in this beautiful car and picks up Cap, and initially in the script, it was like, she arrives in her tennis whites, with a blonde wig. It was very quickly killed.”

Her comments came in response to a question about how “sexualized” the character was in earlier films, and her evolution over time.

“You work with a lot of male writers,” Johansson added. “Things were shifting. You have to be a part of the change. Audiences are also demanding stuff and there’s a cultural shift and it feeds everything into a more progressive direction. It’s been a process, it’s been a process.”

Black Widow is now out in cinemas and is also available to watch at home on Disney+.