If they’re only picking Scarlett Johansen because of her sensuality…
Christina Hendricks should be the top choice! She’s way hotter than Scarlett.

The tall guy? Man he looks like Thor and would let Marvel cast a 6’2″ as Captain America and not have him taller than Thor. Don’t know if he can act or not but he looks the part.

Probably one of the better suggestions I’ve heard here. She has that hard edge that a superspy might have. I don’t know if she’s got the sultry though.

To me, that’s a much bigger deal than Heath Ledger was as The Joker but then, I’m more of a Marvel guy anyway.

With that said I’m more than willing to give her the benefit of doubt in playing a Russian spy.

>>A world in which the premier actor of a previous generation had delivered an acclaimed performance that stole the show, during a previous incarnation of the Batman film series… and no one even knows who the Black Widow is.<<

Thanks for taking steps to prove my point – I think it’s a stretch to say that many people saw Ledger as “the premier actor” prior to Dark Knight.

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I was talking about Jack Nicholson, Matt. Nicholson’s performance had – during that previous incarnation of the Batman series – made the role an important part of the mythos, even in the minds of people who never read comic books. Nobody knows or cares who the Black Widow is yet. When BATMAN BEGINS was announced, people wondered who would play the Joker with the same breath that they asked who would have the title role. At the end of BATMAN BEGINS, the filmmakers teased a Joker appearance in the next film. At the end of IRON MAN, no one knew there would be a Black Widow in the next film, or had any idea who the character was. How could the interest in these two announcements be anywhere on the same level? I’m not knocking Johansson by saying this.

You really thought I was anointing Ledger as the “premiere actor of his generation”?

Well, I actually do agree with that point. But it is highly misleading. Because in the time that followed the announcement of Heath Ledger as the Joker, there has been a ton of buzz. I can not think of another performance that has gotten so much buzz in recent memory. People tend to forget that the original announcement was kind of a non-starter.

Also, I don’t believe that this is what he meant. There was little to no buzz about Heath Ledger at the time of his announcement as the Joker. So “Heath Ledger” buzz would not be a good thing as the author seems to be suggesting.

It seems to me that someone is just overly excited about a chesty blonde in a leather outfit and lost all perspective.

Were people saying that Ledger was going to commit suicide when the news that he got the role? I feel like I am so out of it, because I missed that.

…that is the only reason that there was so much buzz around Dark Knight on his performance before the film.

The news of Scarlett playing Black Widow doesn’t move me in the least. But then how many people thought Robert Downey Jr was right to play Tony Stark waaaayyyy back when?
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Uh, a LOT of people.

I mean, she’s a competent actress who looks great with red hair (see Ghost World) and her deep voice mixed with a Russian accent would be enough to make even my gay pants rise.

She’s going to cost money though, but I can see no reason why Marvel wouldn’t pay up. The first one was a runaway hit without even trying and people will flock to see the sequel, even if it was just two hours of Robert Downey Jr working on his suit and being sassy.But now that they’re lining up some top calibur actors, there’s no way this film isn’t going to bring home a pornographic amount of money.

We just have to hope it doesn’t suck.

At any rate, you may or may not have liked the Spirit, but seeing Scarlett Johannsen in that role made me just do a HOMMINA HOMMINA HOMMINA!!! I hate Nazis and everything they stand for, but if she were at a Nazi rally wearing that outfit, I would have signed up right away! Yes, I’m that fickle and hard up! I think she could do a decent job as the Black Widow. It wouldn’t be the worst thing I’ve seen on a silver screen. That honor goes to Joel Schumacher’s insult that is “Batman and Robin”.

You really think that the movie-going public:

1) Knew The Spirit was based on a comic?
2) Will ignore the fact that Iron Man was, well, pretty good.
3) If they know #1 will think, “Well, The Spirit was a movie based on a comic book, and it stunk, so by my logic, any later comic book movie she is in will stink also”?

And my point above was that people would be more interested in Scarlett Johansson being in the movie rather than who she was playing, not that she would bring in more than someone else, although I think she will put a few more butts in seats over Emily Blunt would, but that’s just a guess.

And I don’t think that David was overstating anything – “Scarlett Johansson to Star in Iron Man 2″ will most likely result in just as much buzz and anticipation as “Heath Ledger to Play Joker in The Dark Knight.” That’s what was said initially, and if you don’t agree with it, that’s cool. We just disagree.

I doubt she’ll bring in significantly more ticket buyers than any other actress who could fill the role. The franchise is the star here. Whoever is cast in the part is going to have as much impact on the bottom line as Gweneth Paltrow did for the first movie.

You guys are overstating the hype factor here. Let’s not forget that ScarJo’s last comic-themed movie was the bomb of the holiday season.

Probably not, and that’s a problem (IMO) with casting an A-list (in acclaim, attention) actress. Will people be coming to see Iron Man 2 because it has the Black Widow in it? Nope. Will they becoming to see it because it has Scarlet Johansson in it playing Robert Downey Jr’s sultry, smoldering (and with a Russian accent!) love interest? You bet. Who has the advantage at the bargaining table, between Johansson and a (to date) relatively stingy Marvel? Johansson. Add her fee to Downey’s increase, Favreau’s increase, the more expensive effects costs, and the picture really gets interesting.

Thanks for taking steps to prove my point – I think it’s a stretch to say that many people saw Ledger as “the premier actor” prior to Dark Knight. He was good, yes, but “premier?” Not so much – as people who made the cracks about “Brokeback Gotham” and pointed to “A Knights Tale” and winced made clear. Yes, there was interest and anticipation, but it was because he was cast as a famous character, not because Heath Ledger was going to deliver an Oscar-worthy performance in the sequel to a moderately well-received Batman movie. Ledger’s performance became the phenomenon after the first drips and drabs started showing up.

Johannson is a much higher-profile star than Ledger was. She makes news for doing nothing – or showing up. While it’s the opposite of the Ledger/Joker dynamic (that is, as you pointed out for me, Johannson is bigger than the character), it’s perfectly reasonable to say that Iron Man 2/Johansson will enjoy a nice buzz bump with her casting, one that would be equivalent to the news that Ledger was cast as the Joker.

Here is the quote:

“If Scarlett takes the part, it is going to be Heath Ledger-style anticipation for the next Iron flick.”

The announcement that Ledger got the role of the Joker created virtually no anticipation. In fact, the news wasn’t all that well received by a lot fans. If that’s what the author was trying to imply, then I apologize. The announcement of ScarJo as Black Widow will probably have a similar reaction.

I read the statement to imply that casting ScarJo as Black Widow would make Iron Man 2 an event the way Dark Knight was. And that’s just silly. I can’t think of a single actress who could create that kind of buzz.

Really, does anyone care all that much who plays Black Widow?