Marvel Studios is looking for cast members to join Scarlett Johansson in Black Widow and Emma Watson is reportedly a front runner for the other female lead. Natasha Romanoff has been a character that many want to see more of from the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever since Johansson debuted in Iron Man 2. After several supporting roles and her uncertain fate with Avengers: Endgame, Marvel is finally gearing up to give her a solo movie.

The film finally became a priority for the studio last year when Jac Schaeffer was hired to write the script. Marvel continued moving quickly on Black Widow by kicking off an extensive search for the studio’s first solo female director, and Cate Shortland was eventually reported as the choice. The months that followed have not had too many significant updates on the movie, with changes to the production schedule and character breakdowns being the highlights.

Thanks to a new report by That Hashtag Show, the choice for one of the major new roles in Black Widow may have been revealed. According to their sources, Emma Watson is the front runner to get the role that was previously described as a “kick ass female Bond.” Watson is best known for her role as Hermione in the Harry Potter franchise, but also recently starred in Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast remake. The report notes that the idea of casting Watson for the role is gaining favor by Shortland, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, and producer Brad Winderbaum, but no decision has been made.

Even though Watson would give Black Widow further star power, she is not the only actress in consideration. THS does not know every name up for the role, who has auditioned, or who will ultimately say yes, but they did share that Alice Englert (Ratched), Dar Zuzovsky (Hostages), and Florence Pugh (Fighting With My Family) are also in consideration. The former two have already auditioned for the part and are said to have left a strong impression. All four actresses are younger than the previous character breakdowns, so the role may have been altered during the recent rewrite.

If Watson is able to retain her spot as the front runner for the role, it would be a move into a true action role for the first time in her career, which would be exciting to see. But, just because she is the reported top choice right now, there is no guarantee that this will stay or that she’ll accept the role. With filming set to begin this summer, it hopefully won’t be too long before casting decisions are announced. Of course, any and all news on Black Widow and the rest of Phase 4 will be unofficial until Marvel Studios makes announcements about their future, which won’t come until after Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home hit theaters.

MORE: Every Phase 4 MCU Movie In Development

Source: That Hashtag Show

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