On May 6, Scarlett Johansson returns as the ass kicking Natasha Romanoff — or Black Widow — in Captain America: Civil War. The latest superhero film from the Marvel franchise sees the Avengers now fractured into two opposing factions — one led by Steve Rogers aka Captain America (Chris Evans) and the other by Tony Stark aka Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr). A chat with Scarlett on slipping into the Black Widow suit and playing the game from both sides.

Isn’t it rare that you get to play a character this many times?
Yes. I really can’t think of any other opportunity, certainly in this format in film, where I would have the chance to grow with the character as I have. When we first met Natasha in Iron Man 2, she was Natalie and you got to see her undercover work. It wasn’t until the end of that film that her true identity was revealed as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. We see her in her own environment in Avengers, as a functioning agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. In the second Captain America movie, my character starts to question her identity and her own choices or non-choices that she’s made or not made in her life. In Avengers 2 
(The Age of Ultron), she allowed herself to want things and to envision a life for herself outside of this universe. 

Now that we find her again and after all we know from what’s happened in Avengers 2, she has a greater calling and I think that’s what makes this character really heroic. She dug her heels in and did not go down the road that would be personally more desirable, to disappear and live off the map and have what everybody wants. But she chooses this greater calling and in this film we really see her move closer to a leadership position.

What is her take on how things are going down?
Natasha sees the Sokovia Accords (a set of internationally ratified legal documents that provide regulation and frame-working for the military deployment of enhanced individuals, particularly the Avengers) as something that probably would not be so complicated. I think she sees it as an obstacle, in the way of the greater picture. She is looking at it as a strategic stance. The path of least resistance is not necessarily the wrong path. We can duck undercover for a while, do what we always do and move on when the time is right. But of course, things get very complicated because obviously there are a lot of personalities involved. Some other characters take this very personally, but Natasha’s strong point is that she doesn’t take anything personally, which allows her to have a much clearer perspective than some of the other characters. That also positions her well for a leadership position because she’s very fair-minded.

Talk about her being on both sides.
Natasha doesn’t take things personally and isn’t really about taking sides per se. I don’t think she really sees things quite so black and white. She likes to live in that gray area. While it’s painful on one hand, she’s gone in a different direction and is being strategic about her choices. She sees that Steve’s (Captain America) taking things personally and she knows the danger of that. Initially she goes with the path of least resistance but she starts to see how it becomes this deep, personal friction between both sides. She realises that she has to take a different strategy, but I don’t think that she ever assumes that Steve will come over to her way of thinking.

Who’s on her side?
Our team is Tony Stark (aka Iron Man, played by Robert Downey Jr), Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), Vision (Paul Bettany) and War Machine (Don Cheadle). 

You have a good team!
Yes. If this were a colour war, I think red would be winning.

What is Natasha’s relationship with Tony Stark like?
Natasha is a bit torn in her relationship with Tony. I think she really sees Tony very clearly and sees his weaknesses as being a danger for the team. Tony is very emotional and that’s scary for Natasha, especially when you’re talking about the number of lives that are at stake and these huge, life-changing, decisions this team is responsible for making. I think Tony is really a lost cause for Natasha. I don’t think that they really have a relationship where she can reason with him. 

How was it shooting the big fight scene between the two sides?
It was pretty surreal having that face-off with everybody on the tarmac (shot at the Leipzig-Halle airport in Schkeuditz, Germany). There have been a few moments in these films where you look around and realise you’re in good company. You’ve got your costume on and you’re ready to kick some booty. I remember doing the first Avengers and all of us getting together in the circle and having our hero moment. This scene felt like that kind of unbelievable epic moment where you know this is really big. 

Talk about your costume…
The suit has had many incarnations but it’s pretty streamlined. This time around, we gave her a sleeker uniform look. In the past it’s been utilitarian-looking. This time it’s a little bit closer to the actual comics, which I think the fans will like. There’s something about it that’s kind of basic and I like that. It doesn’t have crazy bells and whistles. But I actually don’t really wear my suit that much in this movie. I’m more in my regular civilian clothing. 

Do you enjoy the more grounded aspect of the character?
I think that it’s just a different experience. I like what comes with the civilian look. It’s a lot of hand-to-hand combat and some gun play, which is always cool. It’s kind of like a hyper-realistic form of fighting with the suit on. It looks different. It’s a different feeling. But I think no matter what makes these movies work, whether I’m in the suit or in the civilian clothes, whether it’s Natasha or Black Widow, the idea is that these characters can still maintain the dynamics of their relationships with all the other characters and it’s sort of seamless. When you see somebody fighting in the super suit and you know them as the person that they really are, it ups the stakes for the audience, which grounds these movies even in these unbelievable locations or outfits. 

FILM FACTS

• This is the sixth collaboration between Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson in 12 years, after The Perfect Score (2004), The Nanny Diaries (2007), The Avengers (2012), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).

• At just 19, Tom Holland will be the youngest actor to portray Spider-Man. This will also be Spider-Man’s first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

• The trailer broke the record held by Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens (2015) for the most views in 24 hours. Its view count in less than a day: 64 million!

• Civil War is the 13th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the first being Iron Man (2008).

Is that a different dynamic?
Yes. Fighting against evil or a target that you can strategise and pinpoint and figure out how to outsmart is very different than dealing with your buddies’ emotions, experiences, expectations and disappointments. I think you internalise that much more. 

Natasha gets a hard time from both sides.
My character is probably unique in the fact that she experiences both of those things. On one hand, she’s been led astray by the man and the downfall of this large blanket operation. She had that experience with Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D., and she participated with Cap in that. But on the other side of the coin, sometimes I think she realises that they aren’t doing such a great job at self-governing and that there needs to be a greater organisation that they can at least save face in front of.
It will maybe allow the Avengers a little bit more room to get things done, even if they have to dot their ‘I’s and cross their ‘T’s. Maybe they won’t have to be held accountable in the same way as if they operated separately. I can see where both sides would be appealing. 

How is it watching Chris Evans grow in his role?
I cannot imagine anybody but Chris playing this role. It’s a very difficult role to play because you have this character that has a very strong moral compass. It can be challenging to find the conflict in that. Conflict is what makes characters interesting. But Chris has grounded this character in something very human — a kind of longing, a regret, a loss of identity. He’s questioning the choices that have been made for him. And that’s where the conflict lies. To watch Chris, as an actor and also as a person, grow with that character and to have a deeper understanding of what it means to be self-reflective is awesome. 

What will audiences connect to?
I think that the conflict between both sides is what will start the conversation amongst fans and audience members. When they leave the theatre, they can hopefully still argue for either side. It will give them something to take home. We build a case for either side and as the stakes become higher and higher, the personal stakes rise as well.

Scarlett Johansson rocks Black Widow because....Tell t2@abp.in