Scarlett Johansson Sends Clear Message About Directing Marvel Movie

Scarlett Johansson's directorial debut premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival this month. Naturally, that led to questions about whether or not she'd direct a movie for Marvel Studios. 

Johansson, 40, joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2010 when she played the role of Natasha Romanoff in "Iron Man 2." She starred as Black Widow in seven more MCU projects, including her own standalone film in 2021. 

During a previous interview with Vanity Fair, the "Black Widow" actress admit that she wasn't always sure if Marvel would have success with its "Avengers" franchise. 

"When we made the first Avengers, none of us knew what the potential would be," Johansson told Vanity Fair. "Iron Man was massively successful. It was huge; it built the studio of Marvel. And then Iron Man 2 was also very successful. There was Thor, and that character felt like it was from a completely different universe. It was such a different tone [from] the Iron Man movies. And then, of course, the Captain America movie had its whole own identity as well. And then when you added the characters all together, plus Hulk and Hawkeye, it just felt like a big mess, to be honest. Even on the set, it felt crazy, because we all looked insane. It was like, 'What are we doing?'"

Marvel's "The Avengers" grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide at the box office in 2012, and the rest is history. 

When asked if she'd be willing to work behind the camera for an MCU project, Johansson made it clear that she's open to a reunion with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and his crew.  

"I think the movies that I like that are big action movies also have the human connectivity piece," Johansson told Deadline. "Even producing Black Widow and being a part of the production of that, and the development of the story, and the story between Natasha and Yelena. I think, a way of doing it, a way of maintaining the integrity of the idea of human connection, family, disappointment, all of the things that were themes in [Eleanor the Great]. 

"Doing it in a giant way in a giant universe — there’s ways of doing that… So, yeah, definitely, it could be, it would be fun." 

That response from Johansson will put a smile on Marvel fans' faces. 

As for Johansson's directorial debut, "Eleanor the Great" currently has a 57% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.