Scarlett Johansson: I was ‘burdened’ as my ‘Avengers’ character

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Scarlett Johansson has made it clear that the physical preparation for ‘The Avengers’ was no easy feat. In the superhero film, she dons a skin-tight body suit as undercover agent Black Widow -- something she put on after months of grueling workouts and stunt training.

But getting into the mind-set of the dark character was no easy job either, Johansson said on the red carpet at the film’s Hollywood premiere Wednesday night.

‘The character is awesome because she’s a mercenary -- there’s no funny business,’ the 27-year-old explained. ‘So just being a mercenary -- how do you get to that place? You have to be so burdened.’

Johansson is only one of a handful of A-list stars featured in ‘The Avengers,’ which brings together Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth and Jeremy Renner. Despite the big-name cast, director Joss Whedon said, there were no divas on set.

‘These guys, they like each other, and they protect each other on a story level,’ the filmmaker said. ‘When they all get together, my biggest problem is getting them to stop giggling. I had to yell. I was like a schoolmarm.’

‘The Avengers’ hits U.S. theaters May 4.

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-- Amy Kaufman
twitter.com/AmyKinLA