In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, the Black Widow star reflected on the humble beginnings of the now multi-billion-dollar franchise, admitting that the team initially had doubts about the film’s success.
“Iron Man was massively successful,” Johansson said, crediting the Robert Downey Jr.-led film with launching Marvel Studios into the stratosphere. Following that success, Iron Man 2 also proved to be a hit, setting the stage for the introduction of other major characters like Thor and Captain America.
However, Johansson admitted that as more heroes joined the universe—including Thor, a character she described as feeling like he came from “a completely different universe”—the idea of combining them all into one film felt chaotic.
“There’s a whole MCU, but it was such a different tone from the Iron Man movies,” she explained. “And then Captain America has its own identity as well.”
By the time the ensemble cast—including Hulk and Hawkeye—came together for The Avengers, Johansson confessed, “It felt like a big mess.”
The Asteroid City actress recalled that even on set, things felt uncertain. “We all looked insane,” she laughed. It was only Kevin Feige, Marvel’s president, and director Joss Whedon who seemed to have a clear vision.
“For the cast, it was a matter of blind faith,” Johansson admitted. “We all had it in Joss and Kevin.”
She shared that there was one defining moment during filming that sparked hope among the actors: the iconic 360-degree shot of the Avengers assembled in front of New York’s Grand Central Station.
“That was the moment where all of us were like, this might actually work,” she said. “It felt powerful and cool.”
Johansson, now 40, also spoke fondly of the camaraderie among the cast. “We were so young, and we were having such a great time. It was such a great group of actors, and eventually we all became good friends… It was just a blast.”
From uncertainty to box office history, Johansson’s reflections paint a vivid picture of how one of Hollywood’s biggest cinematic experiments came together on sheer passion, belief, and teamwork.