MOVIE NEWS – Emily Blunt is back in the spotlight thanks to The Devil Wears Prada 2, but one of the great missed opportunities of her career still belongs to Marvel. The British actress once came very close to playing Natasha Romanoff in Iron Man 2 instead of Scarlett Johansson, but a previous contractual commitment forced her to say no.
Emily Blunt has the kind of filmography that is easy to admire, especially for anyone drawn to stronger pieces of modern science fiction and fantasy cinema. While she is currently drawing attention for reprising her role as Emily Charlton in The Devil Wears Prada 2, the London-born actress already has a rich career behind her: there is her unforgettable performance alongside Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow, as well as her work under John Krasinski’s direction in A Quiet Place and its sequel. This time, however, the story is not about a film she actually made, but about one she nearly joined: Iron Man 2. The case is interesting because Blunt’s name has been linked to the Marvel Cinematic Universe several times over the past fifteen years, but only one of those cases truly brought her close to entering the MCU.
She Has Been Appearing In MCU Rumors For 15 Years
Anyone who closely follows the franchise already knows that the British star has been linked to Marvel Studios’ MCU more than once. The most recent major wave came when half the internet was convinced she would play Sue Storm in the studio’s Fantastic Four reboot, especially after John Krasinski’s cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. In the end, neither she nor her husband were approached by the Disney subsidiary. Blunt also clarified on a podcast a few years ago that she was never seriously considered for Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel, nor for Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger: “They were just rumors. Talks. Inquiries. That kind of thing,” she said.
With Iron Man 2, though, Blunt really was close to being chosen by Jon Favreau and Kevin Feige to bring Natasha Romanoff, better known as Black Widow, to life. Everyone could sense that if the MCU continued to deliver major box office hits, this character could become important later on, even though she would first appear in Robert Downey Jr.’s second solo film as a supporting player. Blunt also understood that this could become one of those jobs that changes a career, or at least a bank account, which made it especially painful to turn down. The actress was tied to 20th Century Fox for a while, and that commitment cost her the chance to appear in other interesting films as well.
“It was a bit heartbreaking for me because I take great pride in the decisions I make, and the films I do mean so much to me, so it was a tough blow. They [Fox] have a way of tying you down. There were other films I would have liked to do,” Blunt said. The role ultimately went to Scarlett Johansson, who returned as Natasha Romanoff in multiple MCU films after Iron Man 2 and eventually received her own solo film, Black Widow. For Blunt, however, this remains the Marvel door that genuinely opened for her, only to close almost immediately.
A Painful But Necessary Decision
As Blunt explains, when the opportunity arose to become the deadliest spy in the Marvel universe, she was already committed to another film. While it is possible to break those contracts, doing so could have alienated her from a major Hollywood studio such as 20th Century Fox, a company that was later acquired by Disney. One might say that every cloud has a silver lining, but the truth is that the film she had to do instead is not exactly one of the best titles of her career. Gulliver’s Travels, which also starred Jack Black and Jason Segel, was a fantasy disappointment with a budget of $112 million and a box office gross of $237 million, failing to impress almost anyone who saw it in theaters.
The film has only 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, and it is difficult to recommend even for a lazy Sunday afternoon on Disney+. For Blunt, however, it will always be the film that kept her from joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That does not necessarily mean the story is over forever: if the MCU keeps expanding with new installments and new characters, another place could eventually open for her. It is not a question of doubting her, since she was extraordinary in Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario, and it will be genuinely interesting to see her under Steven Spielberg’s direction in Day of Revelation this June. As Natasha Romanoff, however, it is difficult in 2026 to imagine anyone other than Scarlett Johansson.
Source: 3DJuegos
