‘Black Widow’ Director Says Film was Shot While Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh Were Sick with Pneumonia

After waiting for what feels like forever, Marvel’s Black Widow film looks like it will finally release in theaters and on Disney+ July 9. But, according to recent interview with director Cate Shortland, the making of the film wasn’t as glamorous as you’d expect a $200 million production to be. 

“It was like being in the army,” said Shortland. “By the end, Scarlett [Johansson] and her co-star Florence Pugh were both shooting while ill with pneumonia.” Production took place in Norway, Morocco, the U.S. and the U.K. 

The film stars Johansson as Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. the Black Widow, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and ex-KGB assassin, and Pugh as Yelena Belova, Black Widow’s successor. The titular character first debuted in the MCU in Iron Man 2, way back in 2010. Shortland claimed that Johansson remained positive even during the exhausting production. 

“She’s completely unpretentious,” Shortland said, “and that makes her really fun to be around. She’ll be joking with the best boy or the runner; there’s no hierarchy. She appreciates people, and she makes people feel appreciated.” 

Black Widow was originally set to release only in theaters May 1, 2020 until the pandemic caused many studios to delay their biggest features. The film was delayed a total of three times before settling on a Summer 2021 release in both theaters and on Disney’s streaming service, Disney+.  

Photo credit: Raymond Flotat