Robert Downey Jr. talks solo Black Widow, Hulk and Hawkeye movies

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Fans have been very vocal lately about wanting Marvel to do a movie featuring one of their female comic book characters as the lead, with Black Widow and Ms. Marvel as the two many people would like to see get solo films. In an interview with USA Today, Robert Downey Jr. was asked if Marvel should do a Black Widow movie starring Scarlett Johansson, and the actor jokingly said “Doesn’t Scarlett deserve a break?” before going on to talk about the strong female characters from Marvel's movies.

I think that the interesting thing particularly after Guardians with Zoe (Saldana), (or) even from the first Iron Man where Pepper was kind of this really – to me the Iron Man franchise would never have taken off without (Gwyneth) Paltrow. There’s something about her that grounded the story. She’s not your typical lady in a superhero movie, and then by Iron Man 3 she’s swallowing serums and putting on suits and kicking (butt) and all that stuff…It would be kind of more appropriate for a character that already was like a Black Widow (to lead a movie). It just seems like whatever Scarlett does people want to go see it.

It would make sense for Marvel to do a Black Widow movie instead of (for example) Ms. Marvel since the character has already appeared in their feature films, and it's obvious many fans want to see her in a solo flick. Robert Downey Jr. also says he would love to see Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye and Mark Ruffalo's the Hulk get solo movies.

The funny thing is honestly at this point everyone deserves a franchise. I think Jeremy Renner is — when folks see the Avengers: Age of Ultron he’s just a rockstar, a bada–. And Ruffalo is pumped. He does great (work). I’d like to hear them talk even more seriously about a Hulk franchise, because that’s been one of the toughest ones to get right. But I’m sure that my parent company is feeling expansive and bold after the summer they’ve had.

Yeah, I'd say Marvel had a pretty good summer. We do know the studio is interested in doing a Hulk movie, and some fans are hopeful it'll be one of Marvel's untitled upcoming films. Who do you think will get a new solo movie first: Black Widow, Hulk or Hawkeye?

Robert Downey Jr. can be seen next in the highly anticipated THE JUDGE on October 10, 2014, and AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON will be in theaters on May 1, 2015.