Top 10 Coolest Things About Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson’s career is packed with memorable film performances, genre shifts, and behind-the-scenes milestones that show real range and staying power. From intimate indie dramas to globe-spanning franchises, she has built a filmography that spans voice acting, action, comedy, and awards-season heavy hitters. Below are ten fact-focused highlights, with priority on movies and how they were made, followed by a few production and industry notes where they matter most.

‘Lost in Translation’ (2003) – the breakout that earned major awards attention

Sofia Coppola cast Johansson opposite Bill Murray in ‘Lost in Translation’, a quietly intimate drama set in Tokyo. The performance drew widespread critical recognition and secured a BAFTA win for Best Actress. The film’s restrained style foregrounded Johansson’s naturalistic delivery and low-key chemistry with her co-star. It quickly positioned her as a sought-after lead in both independent and studio projects.

‘Black Widow’ (2021) – headlining and executive producing an MCU chapter

Johansson returned as Natasha Romanoff in ‘Black Widow’, the character’s first solo feature within the Marvel saga. She also served as an executive producer, contributing at a leadership level to a long-running franchise entry. The film explored the character’s backstory and ties to the Red Room, expanding continuity threads seeded in earlier installments. It blended large-scale action with family-spy dynamics, introducing new allies and antagonists central to future stories.

‘Her’ (2013) – a voice-only lead that reshaped a film in post-production

In Spike Jonze’s ‘Her’, Johansson performed the operating system Samantha entirely through voice acting. Her work was recorded after principal photography, replacing the on-set voice so the film’s emotional tone could be re-calibrated in post. The performance became a key storytelling device, conveying intimacy and growth without physical screen time. The role earned multiple critics’ prizes and broadened industry conversation about voice-only performances.

‘Under the Skin’ (2013) – groundbreaking production using hidden cameras and non-actors

Jonathan Glazer’s ‘Under the Skin’ paired scripted sequences with real, unrehearsed encounters captured using concealed cameras. Johansson drove around Scotland interacting with non-actors, an approach that created an unsettling, documentary-adjacent texture. The film’s sound design and minimalist dialogue placed unusual weight on physical presence and atmosphere. It has since been widely cited for experimental technique and bold star casting in an avant-garde framework.

‘Marriage Story’ (2019) – a leading turn in a modern relationship drama

Noah Baumbach’s ‘Marriage Story’ cast Johansson opposite Adam Driver in a bicoastal portrait of a dissolving marriage. The role emphasized long conversational scenes, legal wrangling, and performance-within-a-performance moments tied to her character’s stage career. Johansson’s work earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. The film also showcased her facility with extended dialogue and emotionally precise, theater-inflected realism.

‘Jojo Rabbit’ (2019) – awards-recognized supporting role in a satire

In Taika Waititi’s ‘Jojo Rabbit’, Johansson played Rosie, a mother hiding a Jewish teenager during wartime. The part balanced comedic beats with sharp dramatic turns central to the film’s tonal shifts. Her performance was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The role underscored her capacity to ground satire in humane, character-based storytelling.

‘Lucy’ (2014) – leading an original sci-fi action hit

Luc Besson’s ‘Lucy’ centered on a student forced into a drug trafficking plot who undergoes a radical transformation. Johansson carried the film as a solo lead through action, speculative science, and philosophical narration. The movie’s success reaffirmed audience demand for female-led original action titles outside existing franchises. Its visual effects and brisk pacing highlighted her kinetic screen presence alongside genre-bending ideas.

‘Iron Man 2’ (2010) – the on-screen debut of Natasha Romanoff

Johansson’s first appearance as Natasha Romanoff arrived in ‘Iron Man 2’, introducing the spy persona that would thread through later ensemble films. The role featured close-quarters fight choreography and undercover sequences that established the character’s skill set. It also set up S.H.I.E.L.D. connections and intra-team dynamics explored across subsequent entries. The debut marked a long-term collaboration with a cinematic universe spanning multiple directors and story arcs.

‘The Avengers’ (2012) – anchoring team-up storytelling through espionage beats

‘The Avengers’ brought Johansson’s Romanoff into a full ensemble, mixing espionage tactics with large-scale superhero action. Her interrogation scenes, tactical problem-solving, and partnerships with fellow heroes became recurring elements in later chapters. The film demonstrated how non-superpowered characters could shape outcomes through strategy and coordination. It also standardized cross-film character continuity that defined the franchise’s team-up model.

‘Asteroid City’ (2023) – a stylized collaboration with Wes Anderson

In Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City’, Johansson played a movie star within a layered, metatextual narrative. The role required precise timing, stylized line readings, and an interplay between performance and performance-about-performance. Her scenes explored mentorship and creative process within the film’s nested story structure. The collaboration added another acclaimed auteur to her list of creative partners.

Share your favorite Scarlett Johansson moments in the comments—which film performance would you add to this list?