Scarlet Johansson’s fourth action film is going to leave a new notch not only in the actress’s career, but in the movie history as she drew the highest payment ever offered to a woman!
Johansson’s talent and looks led up to her being held out £13 million for her appearance in the Avengers Assemble sequel, an offer that sets a new record of film payment for a female actress. The previous record was made in 2010 as Angelina Jolie was handed over £12.2 million for playing Elise in The Tourist.
Since its April debut AA has brought in £936 million box money and made it to the third highest grossing flick, besides breaking several smaller office box records on the way. The 27-year-old actress who played the part of Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow is generally regarded as one of the film’s success factors.
According to a source quoted by The Sun newspaper, Johansson’s reputation in Hollywood as a hot actress is ascertained and her appearance in the sequel undoubted. Moreover, her being the only female lead in a male-star-studded movie singles her out as a key character both in terms of story value and sex appeal. Producers and critics alike agree that she makes a perfect cynosure.
Is Johansson disconcerted by being the only female in a crowd of male superheroes? That was one of her comments on the film when they did a reveal shot of the Avengers team. There was Thor wielding a hammer, Hawkeye with a bow, Cap with a shield, and Hulk whose built told a tale of its own. She thought she was looking rather diminutive with her guns in their company.
She looked up to Iron Man towering above and hesitantly asked him if she looked all right with her toy-like guns – and was instantly reassured by his description of Natasha as “a killing machine” and “a total bad-ass.”
After Avengers and Iron Man 2 Johansson is moving on to Nick Fury and Hancock 2.
Besides Johansson, the film proved lucrative to Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) who are said to have received a 50% rise for their appearance.
