Celebrity Emily Blunt talks passing on the role of Black Widow: 'It was a bit of a heartbreaker for me' "I was contracted to do Gulliver's Travels. I didn't want to do Gulliver's Travels," Blunt admitted. By Andrea Towers Andrea Towers Andrea Towers is a former assistant editor at Entertainment Weekly. She left EW in 2016. EW's editorial guidelines Published on May 13, 2021 12:39PM EDT Scarlett Johansson is pretty much synonymous with the superhero Black Widow, a.k.a. Natasha Romanoff. But it's common knowledge among fans that if things had gone in another direction over a decade ago, we would have had a very different Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Emily Blunt was the original choice for the Avenger superspy, who first appeared in 2010's Iron Man 2. But due to conflicts with another film, she ended up having to pass on the role, which ultimately went to Johnasson. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images; ©Marvel Studios 2020 In a recent interview with Howard Stern, Blunt reflected on the situation, saying she wanted to set the story straight about why she's not a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "I was contracted to do Gulliver's Travels. I didn't want to do Gulliver's Travels," Blunt admitted, explaining how her involvement in the film meant she was contractually obligated to an "optional picture deal" with 20th Century Fox. Despite the fact that Blunt speaks fondly about her time on set with "a lot of really lovely people who were heaven to work with," the actress still harbors emotions about the decision. "It was a bit of a heartbreaker for me. I take such pride in the decisions that I make, and they mean so much to me, the films that I do," she told Stern. While we may or may not be seeing Blunt in the MCU anytime soon — she's dispelled rumors that she's in the running for the role of Sue Storm in Marvel's upcoming Fantastic Four film—don't count the actress out of appearing in some kind of superhero suit in the future. "For me, it's all about the part," Blunt said. "It's not that I'm loathed to put on a catsuit. It's not that at all. I just haven't found something that really speaks to me." Related Content: Emily Blunt dispels Fantastic Four rumor about playing Invisible Woman A Quiet Place Part II gets a final hair-raising trailer—14 months after initial theatrical delay Scarlett Johansson gets back in action with new photo