Marvel Studios’ ‘Black Widow’: Stars Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh Discuss Finding Powerful Roles

Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh grace the cover of Marie Claire’s Winter 2020 issue and the subsequent interview dives into discussing life in quarantine, lasagna, and of course, Marvel Studios’ Black Widow.

“We’re all eager to get the movie out, but more important than anything, everybody wants the experience to feel safe,” Johansson, returning to the role as Natasha Romanoff, says of the Phase 4 movie’s move to Summer 2021. “[We want to] have people...feel confident about sitting in an enclosed theater.” 

Johansson and Pugh are just as excited as everyone else for the film to reach the big screen, as it unites two female stars with a female director, Cate Shortland, behind the camera. 

“It’s a challenge in a male-dominated industry to tell a woman’s story from the perspective of a female director and focus on the heart of something that is inherently female,” Johansson continues, citing that she’s constantly searching our roles for “women who I feel I can relate to on some level, that I have empathy for. If I can empathize with a character, no matter what their moral compass is, then that’s important to me.

Pugh, who plays Yelena Belova, echoes these comments, explaining that she feels the same way when it comes to characters she plays on screen. “It’s always been, kind of, number-one top priority for me to find women who are totally fascinating and totally powerful in their own way. I really want to recognize the women I play, whether it’s that I recognize my mom in her, or my gran in her, or my sister in her. I want to play complex and confusing characters.”

Head over to MarieClaire.com to read the full interview, where the two women discuss how they’ve been keeping busy in quarantine along with tips for making lasagna. Find more Black Widow images from the Winter 2020 issue in the gallery below!

Black Widow opens in theaters on May 7, 2021.

Stay tuned to Marvel.com, follow @TheBlackWidow on Twitter, and @Black.Widow on Instagram, and Like “Black Widow" on Facebook for the latest on Black Widow as it develops.