Scarlet Johansson has made some incredible movies, in all kinds of genres and styles. She’s done the indie route with Ghost World and Lost in Translation, action films like Lucy, franchises like her role as Black Widow in the MCU, and unique artistic films like Under the Skin and Her. As with any actor in the industry, there are also many roads not taken. Opportunities for different roles that either she passed on or simply she didn’t get. Today we’re exploring those times when Johansson didn’t end up doing the movie.
10 Jumanji (1995)
The original Jumanji, with Robin Williams as the lead, was a surprising action adventure, full of imagination that kids and teenagers loved. Johansson was only 11 years old when she auditioned for the role of Judy Shepherd. The role went to another child actor who would later become a big movie star (and also worked with Sofia Coppola), Kirsten Dunst. Casting agents might’ve seen some similarities between the two actresses, as this wouldn’t be the only time their careers would cross paths. Although this would’ve been Johansson's big break, she only had to wait three years to get cast in The Horse Whisperer, and from there, little by little, role by role, she became a box office leading actress.
9 Les Misérables (2012)
Les Misérables is a unique musical adaptation of the Victor Hugo story about Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), a prisoner, who after many years in jail, breaks parole, and the policeman, Javert (Russell Crowe), who hunts him down. Johansson auditioned for the role of Fantine (Anne Hathaway) while battling laryngitis and lost to Hathaway. After watching the film, The Avengers actress admitted that Hathaway had an incredible performance and that she couldn’t have done it any better. The Academy might’ve agreed, as Hathaway won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Performance for her role as Fantine.
8 Gravity (2013)
Gravity was an incredibly unique film by Alfonso Cuarón, that developed some new technologies to show how strange it would be to get lost in space. The female lead role of Ryan Stone, played beautifully by Sandra Bullock (it earned her an Oscar Nomination), could’ve been acted by someone else. During different times in pre-production, Angelina Jolie, Blake Lively, and Johansson were looked at as the possible lead character. In the end, Cuarón wanted someone older to play Stone, so Johansson didn’t get the role. Although Bullock is excellent in the movie, we’ll keep wondering what Johansson would have done with the role, as it might've been a great challenge for her.
7 My Week With Marilyn (2011)
My Week With Marilyn is a movie about the week Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) spent with Marilyn (Michelle Williams) and Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) while they were shooting The Prince and the Show Girl. Johansson was offered the role of Marilyn before Williams, but she turned it down as she had no interest in playing the famous actress. As she told USA Today: "There's a lot there to explore, and I like to watch other people do it, but I have no interest. It's lovely to be compared to somebody as sort of effervescent and charming and fragile and I think kind of an underrated actor, really... you know, beautiful and everything. But it's never been one for me.”
6 Superman Returns (2006)
Johansson was in consideration for the part of Superman’s romantic interest, Lois Lane, in the early stages of the production, when the project was still being directed by McG and written by J.J. Abrams. The film changed story, directors, and writers many times before it solidified as Superman Returns, directed by Bryan Singer with Brandon Routh and Kate Bosworth as the leads. If Johansson had been the intrepid journalist Lois Lane, she wouldn’t have been Black Widow, so losing this movie was probably a blessing in disguise.
5 The Great Gatsby (2013)
The Great Gatsby is one of the most memorable books written in the 20th Century. Baz Luhrmann's adaptation is something completely different, but also has the essence of the novel. Johansson could’ve been Daisy Buchanan in DiCaprio’s Gatsby, but she turned down the role. The actress had scheduling conflicts with We Bought a Zoo, so she couldn't do it. It’s a shame, as she would’ve been a great Daisy in one of the best movies about the American dream. Knowing Johansson can also sing, and thinking about all the musical moments in the film, maybe she could’ve even sung a song at some moment in the movie.
4 Elizabethtown (2005)
Elizabethtown is a unique, quirky romantic comedy written and directed by Cameron Crowe. In it, Drew (Orlando Bloom) meets a woman, Claire (Kirsten Dunst), who is like no other and changes the way he thinks about life. Johansson was one of the finalists for the role but lost to Dunst (not the first time). The Lucy actress might not have worked, as Dunst is more peppy and happy, and the role required exactly that. The film even coined the term “manic pixie dream girl”, about the female character as she’s only there to show the guy how to feel better, while also being incredibly beautiful, in that “I don’t know I’m pretty” kind of way. Johansson would’ve been miscast as this kind of character, so it might’ve been best for everyone that she didn't get it.
3 The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is David Fincher’s adaptation of the famous Nordic book, where Lisbeth Salander is as badass as they come. According to the director himself, Johansson's audition was one of the best, but she didn’t have some of the qualities he was looking for. Fincher told to The Hollywood Reporter about why he cast someone else in the role: “Look, we saw some amazing people. Scarlett Johansson was great. It was a great audition, I’m telling you. But the thing with Scarlett is, you can’t wait for her to take her clothes off.” Although his reasoning sounds a bit off, Rooney Mara played the role greatly, and Johansson had her own, artistic, dark, weird movie years later in Under the Skin.
2 V for Vendetta (2006)
V for Vendetta has one of the best revolutions depicted on film. It also has a strong, rich, female lead role at its center (unfortunately Hollywood doesn’t have that many), so it makes perfect sense that all actresses from a certain age wanted the part of Evey Hammond, including Johansson. She almost got the role, as she was the other finalist, but in the end, Natalie Portman was Evey. Portman made the role her own, but we think Johansson could’ve pulled it off. She used that year to work with another unique director, Christopher Nolan, in The Prestige, and became Black Widow shortly after.
1 Mission Impossible III (2006)
Mission Impossible III is remembered by many things: Philip Seymour Hoffman's all-in performance (still the best villain in the franchise), Ethan (Tom Cruise) falling in love with Julia (Michelle Monaghan), and the appearance of Lindsay Farris (Keri Russell) as a badass trainee. Johansson had been cast in the Lindsay Farris role, but she turned it down at the last moment because of scheduling conflicts. She was cast by director Joe Carnahan and the movie ended up being shot by J.J. Abrams. This change might suggest that the part she was offered changed drastically between directors. The character only appeared in that movie, so it’s not like she would’ve become some kind of sidekick like Simon Pegg’s Benji.