Scarlett Johansson wants standalone 'Black Widow' film to 'elevate the genre'; talks about whether it's a prequel
Scarlett Johansson is finally allowed to talk about the standalone "Black Widow" film out next spring after Marvel officially unveiled the project at Comic-Con this weekend as the first Phase 4 film.
"It's a little bit scary not having the cushion of my fellow Avengers around," she told "Good Morning America" in an interview that aired Monday. "You kind of put yourself out there in a different way because the character stands on her own."
Spoiler alert: This post and the video above contain Avengers: Endgame plot points.
The character of Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow has been a staple of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since making her first appearance in 2010's "Iron Man 2." Since she's a member of the core six Avengers, rumors have long swirled that she would have a standalone film.
PHOTOS: Scarlett Johansson and more at the premiere of "Avengers: Endgame"
But when she sacrificed herself during "Avengers: Endgame," fans were left wondering how her death would affect the film: Would it be a prequel? Could there be some type of resurrection?
"It's a revelation of sorts. Take that however it comes out," Johansson said when asked specifically about this.
She laughed, adding, "'Black Widow: A revelation.' I don't want it to say that at all. People are like, 'That's so stuffy.'"
Though she wouldn't explicitly state whether it's a prequel, Johansson did say the movie will explore Romanoff's past.
"You actually get to all the questions you may have had about this mysterious character and who she is," Johansson said. "Who she is, where she comes from. What are the secrets of the past that haunt her?"
Even after nearly a decade of playing the character, the veteran actress has found more to explore.
"I think the biggest surprise for me is that actually her strength is in her vulnerability. That has been very liberating to make that discovery. It's given me a lot more choices," she said. "While she has to put on a brave face in some capacity as a leader, she's ok with her feelings and with expressing them."
Johanson said that, beyond the exploration of her own character, the film will explore the superhero genre in a new way.
RELATED: "Avengers Endgame" is now the most popular movie of all time
"I would've been happy to, you know, to end it at 'Endgame' and walk away. I was proud of the work that we had all done together" she said. "The only reason to do this standalone would be to elevate the genre in some way. And so hopefully, we will have."
Johansson is still keeping plenty of secrets about the film. For instance, will Black Widow's good friend Hawkeye (played by Jeremy Renner) make an appearance? When asked about that, Johansson joked that Marvel would not be happy if she didn't keep her lips sealed.
"Oh my God, that's when you see the tranq gun come out," she said. But she assured fans: "We have a lot of surprises up our sleeves ... Up our Gauntlet."
"Black Widow" hits theaters on May 1, 2020.
The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of Marvel and this station.
SEE ALSO: 'Avengers' star Scarlett Johansson, 'SNL' star Colin Jost engaged after 2 years of dating
