A four-second clip. That’s all it took.
The internet is collectively gasping, laughing, and crying after a brief video of Scarlett Johansson trying on her original Black Widow suit for the very first time resurfaced on social media this week and fans are reliving the birth of an icon.
The short behind-the-scenes footage, reportedly taken during early costume tests for Iron Man 2 (2010), shows Johansson stepping into the frame in the now-iconic black tactical suit. Standing off to the side, director Jon Favreau visibly beams, his reaction sparking a viral frenzy of commentary.
And in true internet fashion, the reactions range from heartfelt to hilariously unhinged.
“Can’t believe how fierce she looked right from day one,” one fan tweeted.
“Black Widow is one of the most iconic female superheroes of all time & Scarlett Johansson played the role perfectly!” another added.
“Jon realizing his movie is gonna make bank…” joked a third, referencing Favreau’s gleeful expression.
“History was made,” declared another.
But not everyone was focused on the historic impact. Several users were quick to point out one particular detail everyone on set seemed to be very aware of Johansson’s figure in the suit.
“Jon looking at that asssssssss,” one post read bluntly.
“Jon Favreau blatantly looking at her ass,” wrote another, with accompanying screen caps for proof.
“They’re all looking at her ass lol. Even the women. Can’t blame them,” someone noted.
“The women staring at her ass proves that women thinking about eating ass on a daily basis,” one viral tweet concluded, perhaps taking things to a place no one asked for but the internet welcomed anyway.
Other fans responded with nostalgia and emotion, reflecting on Johansson’s MCU journey and the eventual death of her character, Natasha Romanoff, in Avengers: Endgame (2019).
“She was so excited🥹❤️ who would’ve thought that her character would be deeply missed in the future🥲 cries in endgame peanut butter sandwich”
“Childhood crush,” one fan wrote simply.
A Role That Wasn’t Meant to Be At First
Scarlett Johansson wasn’t even Marvel’s original choice to play Natasha Romanoff. Emily Blunt was initially cast, but scheduling conflicts forced her to bow out. Johansson stepped in and the rest is box office history.
She made her debut in Iron Man 2, standing shoulder to shoulder with Robert Downey Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson. But it wasn’t just a supporting role. Johansson’s Black Widow commanded attention with her lethal grace, sultry sarcasm, and magnetic presence. She would go on to appear in eight MCU films, including The Avengers (2012), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and her own solo film Black Widow (2021).
That solo film marked a bittersweet milestone. It was both a long-awaited origin story and Johansson’s final bow in the franchise.
Box Office Queen
As of this year, Scarlett Johansson remains the highest-grossing actor in cinematic history, with over $15.3 billion in total global ticket sales, according to The Numbers. Her films span franchises and genres, including the MCU, Lucy, Sing, Jojo Rabbit, and Marriage Story, the latter two earning her dual Academy Award nominations in 2019.
In the rankings of global box office titans, Johansson has surpassed even longtime Marvel co-stars like Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, and Chris Pratt. Her top-grossing film? Avengers: Endgame (2019), a cinematic juggernaut that became the highest-grossing film of all time upon release.
No Resurrection Says Johansson: “She Is Dead. Okay?”
Despite continued fan pleas for a Marvel resurrection, Johansson has been firm. Natasha Romanoff’s story is over.
“Natasha is dead,” the actress said bluntly in a March 2024 interview with InStyle. “She is dead. She’s dead. Okay?”
Still, fans cling to hope. Even Johansson acknowledged the lingering fantasies during a Today show appearance in 2023, saying, “It would be a miracle. It would be a real Marvel miracle. But who knows?”
That finality was echoed during a legal standoff in 2021, when Johansson sued Disney over the hybrid release of Black Widow in theaters and on Disney+, claiming it breached her contract. The lawsuit became a landmark moment for Hollywood’s streaming-era contract negotiations. The two parties eventually settled privately.
A Viral Moment for the Ages
Though Johansson has since moved on from the Marvel machine, the legacy she built continues to captivate. A four-second video is now trending on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram Reels with millions of views and a chorus of adoration and thirst tweets alike.
“Why is this video 20 minutes long,” one person tweeted about the clip, humorously exaggerating its hypnotic hold.
The fascination speaks to something larger. Black Widow wasn’t just a character, and Johansson wasn’t just an actress in a costume. She was, for over a decade, the lone female Avenger in a testosterone-heavy cinematic universe. And with a wink, a whip of red hair, and a killer head-scissor move, she cemented her place in superhero history.
Scarlett may be done with Natasha, but clearly, the internet isn’t. And maybe that’s okay.
After all, as one user put it best:
“She had everyone eating at the palm of her hand.”
And apparently, that still hasn’t changed.
