Scarlett Johansson 'excited' to share Black Widow's fragility on screen

Marvel Studios' action-packed spy thriller Black Widow grips your attention from the moment the lights go down.

The latest chapter in the Avengers universe centres on Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, as she tries to deal with the forces that have shaped her. The film is set before the time of Marvel Studios' previous film, Avengers: Infinity War — and after the period of Captain America: Civil War.

Desperate to evade secretary of state Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, played by William Hurt, and on the run from the government, Romanoff attempts to start over but is thrust into dark forces that push her back in time.

Scarlett Johansson explains why she signed on to play Romanoff in this comic universe film: "When we first started talking about making Black Widow as a stand-alone film, we had to dig deeply into the story of the character. We had to be brave and go into her background or there wouldn't be any reason for making the film. Having played this character for a decade, I wanted to make sure that it would feel artistically and creatively rewarding for me and the fans."

The action is gripping, and the character work is fresh and funny. Director Cate Shortland delivers a high-intensity thriller with strong character arcs that are both emotional and entertaining despite the droll deliveries and snide remarks that pepper the dialogue, thanks to the script written by Marvel veteran Eric Pearson.

Tongue-in-cheek humour pokes fun at the superhero genre and at Romanoff's super serious personality. Florence Pugh, who starred in Little Women, delivers some of the best barbs as Romanoff's equally talented little sister.

"Yelena Belovan is outgoing, assertive and blunt. It throws Natasha off-kilter and brings out her personality," says Pugh. "Yelena wants someone to apologise to her. She wants to stop feeling like she's insane. What happens to the two women isn't normal and she wants to let everybody know that she didn't have a choice in it.

"Yelena's anger - and her journey - is centred around trying to get the people she thought she knew to admit that what they did was wrong. She's also coming to terms with abandonment. Her relationship with Natasha is interesting because they're constantly butting heads the way siblings sometimes do. But she's equally, deeply in pain. She's had a very confusing childhood and she's searching for a way to patch herself up."

Pugh steals a few of the scenes, but David Harbor who plays Natasha and Yelena's father, has been transformed from a one-dimensional background character in the story into a fully fledged action hero that may become a fan favourite.

The Stranger Things star has taken advantage of a career-changing opportunity to show his comedy chops. He clearly delights in portraying the colourful Alexei, aka Red Guardian, and his performance is so contagious that he captures the audience and takes them along for the ride.

Rachel Weisz plays Natasha's mother, which seems like a strange choice until you recall that the actress who won an Oscar for her performance in The Constant Gardener was also the heroine in the comic-horror-adventure franchise The Mummy.

Fans of The Avengers will be thrilled by this comic hero's back story, 10 years in the making (Black Widow was introduced in 2010's Iron Man 2) as new aspects of Romanoff's history are revealed.

"In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Natasha's an impenetrable force," says Johansson. "She's reckless, out of control but has an amazing intellect. What are her secrets and vulnerabilities? I'm excited to share her fragility and her strength in this new film."

Johansson really thought about showing Romanoff's humanity, rather than portraying her as just another super hero. Under her bravado, she's frightened. She comes into this film thinking she's always going to be alone. As the first lead actor to serve as a producer on a Marvel Film, Johansson's knowledge of the character is invaluable, but she's also drawn on parts of herself.

"I know a lot about this character, because she's in me," says the actress, who got her first break at the age of 12 in The Horse Whisperer.

"Until now, I hadn't had the opportunity to access the inner parts of her. I've made discoveries about her in this performance - I've seen her strengths and flaws. It's been therapeutic. I don't imagine many actors have the opportunity to do that with a character they've played for 10 years."

Johansson's fingerprints are all over the film, including the wardrobe. She collaborated with costume designer Jany Temime. "Scarlett knows the character and her no-fuss personality," says Temime. "Natasha is a strong woman but she's been hurt.

"For the first time, we have a white costume for Black Widow. We made Scarlett a white suit because she had to fight in Siberia. I looked at military outfits designed for the snow, and thought, 'Why not?' I added black accessories to keep it tough and it works brilliantly."

Fans will be delighted to see the origins of Black Widow's vest come to light. They should also look out for some of the Avenger's fighting styles, which have been incorporated into the action sequences as the film happens after Black Widow has spent time with the super group.

"She has no superpowers, so it all comes from her," says Johansson. "I've had time to build a physical vocabulary and I'm finally able to use it in this film."

• The author of this piece, Margaret Gardiner, is an entertainment journalist and former Miss SA; she was the first South African to win the Miss Universe Pageant. Follow her on YouTube or Instagram.