Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson may have gotten her big career boost in the MCU, but she had always eyed another popular franchise.

Scarlett Johansson is one of the A-list actresses who has always tried to strike a balance between big-budget blockbusters and small character-driven dramas. The actress refuses to be stuck in one particular genre and does her best to diversify her filmography. Her most popular and celebrated role is undoubtedly Black Widow, which she played in the MCU for over 10 years.

After being a part of the OG Avengers in the MCU, the actress is set to lead the next Jurassic World movie which will be directed by Gareth Edwards. Despite being one of the leading stars in the MCU, Johansson always wanted to join the Jurassic World franchise and would have done anything to be in one of the films.

Scarlett Johansson Is Giddy With Excitement About Joining The Jurassic World Franchise

Scarlett Johansson has played Black Widow in the MCU since 2010’s Iron Man 2 till 2021’s Black Widow. The role brought her immense fame and popularity, elevating her into a huge movie star. The actress has become synonymous with the character but during her tenure as Black Widow, she had her eyes on another franchise that she wanted to star in.

The actress was a huge fan of the 90s Jurassic Park films which was a seminal film during her childhood. When the franchise got rebooted in 2015, The Black Widow star wanted to be in the franchise so badly. In an interview with Comicbook.com, Johansson revealed that she would have done anything, be it dying in 5 minutes or working in crafts services, just to be associated with the franchise

The Marvel star who is now set to lead the new Jurassic World film teased that the script written by David Keopp who wrote the original Jurassic Park films is incredible. She also expressed her excitement about finally starring in the franchise. Johansson said,

I’m such an enormous fan of the franchise and huge nerd for it. I’m just like, I can’t even, I’m pinching myself. I’ve been trying to get into this franchise in any possible way for over 10 years. I’m like, ‘I’ll die in the first five minutes! I can get eaten by whatever! I’ll do the craft service!’ I’ll do anything for it. The fact that it’s happened in this way at this time just is actually unbelievable. I can’t believe it.

It may have been a long road for Johansson to star in her favorite franchise but the wait has finally paid off. The upcoming film will also star Jonathan Bailey, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Rupert Friend, Mahershala Ali, Luna Blaise, and David Iacono. The yet-untitled Jurassic World film will hit theatres on July 2, 2025. 

Scarlett Johansson Was Frustrated When She Lost The Lead in Gravity To Sandra Bullock

Scarlett Johansson was a rising star in the late 2000s and had already starred in some fantastic films such as Lost in Translation, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and Match Point. However, she had a point during that time when she started questioning her place in the industry. In an interview with Variety, the actress revealed the roles that she lost that made her incredibly frustrated with her career.

Johansson stated that she felt hopeless when she lost prominent roles in Iron Man 2 and Gravity to Emily Blunt (which later went to Johansson) and Sandra Bullock respectively. She especially wanted the latter role but started to question her career when she lost it. Johansson said,

The first was Iron Man 2 and then the other one was Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity. I had wanted that role so much. It was sort of the straw that broke the camel’s back. I felt really frustrated and hopeless. Like, ‘Am I doing the right job?’

While Bullock did a great job in Gravity, it would have been interesting to see how Johansson would have played the ‘solo’ astronaut role. As of 2024, Johansson is starring alongside Channing Tatum in the upcoming rom-com set in the 1960s space race era, Fly Me To The Moon. The film will hit theatres on July 12, 2024.