“He was tearing his eyeballs out”: Scarlett Johansson Realized the Stakes Were High With ‘The Avengers’ After She Saw Assistant Director Crying

Hollywood sets frequently appear glamorous and exciting, but when you look behind the scenes, the glitz and glamour disappear, exposing the difficult realities of filmmaking. Scarlett Johansson was also aware that the stakes were extremely high when she was cast in The Avengers. The actress became known as Black Widow after portraying the character in several Marvel movies.

She chose to be a part of the franchise, knowing and accepting the toll it might have on her. She portrayed Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, in Joss Whedon’s (2012) movie The Avengers, which received largely favorable reviews and set numerous records at the box office.

During the making of the 2012 film, the actress once revealed a moment that changed her perspective. Johansson once noticed the assistant director crying, which made her realize the importance of the stakes involved in The Avengers.

Scarlett Johansson

**Scarlett Johansson’s Eye-Opening Moment During The Avengers Filming**

Scarlett Johansson, best known as Black Widow in Marvel films, has always been a symbol of strength on screen. She collaborated with some of the greatest artists in the world to deliver some of the greatest works. However, when she noticed an assistant director in tears, she had a different perspective on how significant The Avengers production was. The actress, 38, once told SUCCESS:
“All you had to do was look at our second assistant director to know it was a giant production because he was tearing his eyeballs out.”

Scarlett Johansson

Hundreds of people spent countless hours and thousands of dollars setting up complex action shots, and they all depended on Johansson to not only hit her marks but also give the right performance in the midst of the chaos.

Everything had to be set up again if she even made a minor error. But the actress acknowledged that performing stunt work sometimes became “exhausting”. To quote her (via SUCCESS):
“I have to say—doing the stunt work—it’s not the day you’re shooting that’s most difficult. It’s all the hours you spend learning it. Once you’re shooting it, it’s definitely exhausting because of the repetition, but you’ve already gone through the most painful part of the process, which is learning the choreography of the fights.”

Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow
Because there are no other options, physically demanding stunts and rigorous training schedules must be met, as the actress argued (via SUCCESS);
“Especially because you have a tight timeframe to learn everything. If you’re lagging or there are things you’re unsure of, you just beat it into the ground until you get it. You have no choice.”

Scarlett Johansson Aimed At Pushing Her Limits With Marvel Films

With fans, stakeholders, and studios all eagerly awaiting its success, The Avengers franchise carried enormous expectations and pressure. Scarlett Johansson chose to star in the franchise knowing full well that it would be taxing on her.

MCU star, Scarlett Johansson
In 2010’s Iron Man 2, Johansson debuted as Black Widow for the first time. She put up a valiant fight, almost losing her role. At the time, the movie’s director, Jon Favreau, wanted Emily Blunt to play Widow. In a conversation with Variety, the Under the Skin actress stated:
“I had wanted that role so much. It was sort of the straw that broke the camel’s back. I felt really frustrated and hopeless. Like, ‘Am I doing the right job?’ The work I was being offered felt deeply unfulfilling. I think I was offered every Marilyn Monroe script ever. I was like, ‘Is this the end of the road creatively?’”
However, Blunt was unable to commit to Iron Man 2 due to scheduling issues. Johansson, who was only partially interested in the project because of the difficulty, would eventually take on the role of Black Widow. She once informed SUCCESS:
“There’s pain involved in trying to make something great, whether that’s emotional pain or physical pain. Like in these superhero movies, it definitely hurts. It’s a lifestyle that’s not that fun. But the challenge is what makes me happy, not the end result. The challenge of, ‘How far can I push myself?’ Like doing the play—‘I don’t think I’m going to survive this.’ Or doing The Avengers—‘I’m gonna die halfway through this job.’ Being able to do something that feels impossible makes me feel incredibly happy.”
A still from The Avengers
The Avengers was the highest-grossing film of 2012, earning over $1.5 billion at the global box office, shattering numerous records.