Scarlett Johansson: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

5 Awesome Performances...

5. Black Widow - Marvel's The Avengers (2012)

The subplot that oddly positioned Natasha Romanov and Clint Barton as near-lovers exchanging furtive glances and loaded dialogue might not have been the best bit of Marvel's epic comic book movie event, but their dynamic certainly added another dimension to a film that could have been irredeemably one-dimensional without smart writing. As Black Widow, Johansson channelled the iciest depths of her on-screen persona, turning what could be deemed aloofness in other roles to a guarded exterior that not only hid her fiery temperament in her brilliant opening kidnap sequence, but also the suggestion of her tortured past that comes out authentically in conversation with Barton, and as bait for Loki in the most memorable of all of her scenes in the movie. It is that scene opposite Tom Hiddleston's exceptional villain that really stands out as indicative of the quality of the performance; Romanov baits Loki's web, apparently giving away her vulnerability, and draws out Hiddleston's finest work in the role, only for her emotional facade to crack precisely when she ekes out the information she needs. The switch is genuinely convincing, particularly thanks to the immediate reversion to cool and Loki's almost cartoonish realisation that he's been completely hooked.