Warning: spoilers ahead for Black Widow and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier! 🚨🚨
1. Scarlett Johansson’s first role as Laura Nelson in North in 1994:
Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com
North is about a little boy who travels the world in search of the perfect parents, including Laura’s parents. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who cameos in Black Widow, played North’s mom in the film. Scarlett was 9 when it premiered.
Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff in Black Widow:
Marvel / Via Disney+
She’s been part of the MCU since Iron Man 2 (2010). Since then, she’s also portrayed Natasha Romanoff in The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.
Scarlett Johansson in real life:
Ingledodd Media / via Getty Images
She told Fatherly that she doesn’t plan to play Natasha, who died in Endgame, again. She said, “[Black Widow] feels like a great way to go out for this chapter of my Marvel identity.”
2. Florence Pugh’s first role as Abbie Mortimer in The Falling in 2014:
Metrodome UK / Via youtube.com
In the movie, Abbie is best friends with Maisie Williams’s character at the all-girls school they attend. Florence gained wider recognition in 2019 for her lead roles in Midsommar and Little Women.
Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova in Black Widow:
Marvel / Via Disney+
Black Widow marked her MCU debut.
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Florence Pugh in real life:
View this photo on Instagram
@florencepugh / Via instagram.com
She’s set to return as Yelena in the Disney+ show Hawkeye.
3. David Harbour in his first onscreen role as a waiter on an episode of Law Order in 1999:
NBC / Via youtube.com
He guest-starred on four different episodes in three different series of Law Order. His first movie was Kinsey in 2004, but he didn’t have any lines.
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David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian in Black Widow:
Marvel / Via Disney+
He told Inverse that “at the center of [Alexei’s story] was this beautiful, sweet soul we wanted to preserve.”
David Harbour in real life:
@dkharbour / Via instagram.com
He told Variety he “would love for there to be more Red Guardian” in future MCU projects.
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4. Rachel Weisz in her onscreen debut as Sarah Thompson in Advocates II:
STV Productions / Via youtube.com
She was on the Scottish legal drama for three episodes. Her first movie was Death Machine in 1994.
Rachel Weisz as Melina Vostokoff in Black Widow:
Marvel / Via Disney+
She described working on the film as “like being with a really nice family.”
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Rachel Weisz in real life:
Albert L. Ortega / Getty Images
She told Collider that, so far, there are no plans for Melina beyond Black Widow.
5. Ray Winstone in his film debut as Steve Brodie in That Summer in 1979:
Columbia=EMI-Warner Distributors / Via youtube.com
This role earned him a BAFTA nomination for best newcomer. Winstone’s first credited role was “Second Youth” in an episode of The Sweeney. In 2012, he starred in the movie inspired by the show.
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Ray Winstone as Dreykov in Black Widow:
Marvel / Via Disney+
Screenwriter Eric Pearson told Slashfilm, “The villain was the trickiest part of [setting Black Widow further back in the timeline], because you needed a villain threat that could realistically succeed and we wouldn’t notice [in other MCU films].”
Ray Winstone in real life:
Sopa Images / LightRocket via Getty Images
Black Widow will most likely be his only movie in the MCU because his character died.
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6. Olga Kurylenko as Iris in her debut film L’Annulaire (The Ring Finger) in 2005:
Les Films du Veyrier / Via youtube.com
Her first acting gig was a small role on an episode of Largo Winch in 2001.
Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster in Black Widow:
Marvel / Via Disney+
Loki mentioned Dreykov’s daughter to Natasha all the way back in The Avengers (2012).
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Olga Kurylenko in real life:
@olgakurylenkoofficial / Via instagram.com
She told Esquire that “it’d be really cool” to play Antonia again.
7. Violet McGraw in her first credited role as Nina on the Netflix series Love in 2018:
Netflix / Via Netflix
She made her feature film debut with a small role in Ready Player One in 2018.
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Violet McGraw as young Yelena in Black Widow:
Marvel / Via Disney+
Though they didn’t have any scenes together, Violet was especially excited to meet Scarlett Johansson. She told J-14, “I was actually super nervous when I got to meet her because, since she is my favorite female Marvel character, I just couldn’t believe that I was meeting her.”
Violet McGraw in real life:
@violetmcgraw / Via instagram.com
The role was a dream come true because Violet and her entire family love Marvel movies.
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8. Ever Anderson in her first role as young Alicia Marcus in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter:
Sony Pictures Releasing / Via youtube.com
She played the younger version of her mother Mila Jovovich’s character. It was a total family affair — her father directed the movie, too.
Ever Anderson as young Natasha in Black Widow:
Marvel / Via Disney+
Natasha is her favorite superhero, and not just because she got to play her. She told Paper Mag, “I love that she doesn’t have superpowers, she’s just trained her whole life to be a badass and succeeded.”
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Ever Anderson in real life:
@everanderson / Via instagram.com
Disney isn’t done with Ever yet. She’s been cast as Wendy Darling in Peter Pan Wendy (2022).
9. O-T Fagbenle in his first movie role as Joe in Breaking and Entering:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / Via Amazon Prime Video
He made the leap to the silver screen after a few years of playing minor roles on quintessentially British shows such as EastEnders and Doctor Who. Ray Winstone also had a small part in Breaking and Entering.
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O-T Fagbenle as Rick Mason in Black Widow:
Marvel / Via Disney+
The Black Widow character he originally auditioned for was “very different,” but after the role changed, director Cate Shortland called and offered it to him.
O-T Fagbenle in real life:
@otfagbenle / Via instagram.com
He sees a “great space” for Mason in the future of the MCU. He told Fandango, “Listen, somebody has to hook [the Avengers] up with their gadgets. So I’m available at the right price.”
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10. William Hurt in his first big screen movie as Professor Edward Jessup in Altered States in 1980:
Warner Bros. / Via youtube.com
Before Altered State, he had a few small television roles and a minor part in a made-for-TV movie.
William Hurt as Secretary Thaddeus Ross in Black Widow:
Marvel / Via Disney+
He made his MCU debut in The Incredible Hulk in 2008. He also played Secretary Ross in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.
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William Hurt in real life:
Rebecca Sapp / Via Getty
William describes his character as a “self-fantasizing person.” In Black Widow: The Official Movie Special Book, he said, “I think he imagined, back when he was contending with Hulk, that he was the conquering soldier going around the world, but things have gotten more complex and difficult.”
11. And finally, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a Saturday Night Live cast member in 1983:
NBC / Via youtube.com
She was on SNL from 1982–1985.
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Contessa Valentina in Black Widow:
Marvel / Via Disney+
She previously appeared in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
And Julia Louis-Dreyfus in real life:
@officialjld / Via instagram.com
The MCU has big plans for Contessa Val in its next phase. Though it hasn’t yet been confirmed where she’ll pop up next, the post-credits scene seems to insinuate she’ll play a role in the upcoming Disney+ series Hawkeye.
