“I’ve basically made a career out of being second choice.”

So, I was today years old when I found out that Marvel’s Black Widow, who has been played by Scarlett Johansson for a decade, wasn’t supposed to be ScarJo at all.

Marvel

The role of Black Widow initially went to Emily Blunt — you know, A Quiet Place, The Devil Wears Prada, general British gem.

John Phillips / Getty Images

Maybe you already knew that, maybe not. In any case, in a new interview with Parade, Scarlett addressed being “second choice” for Black Widow — but she was actually super positive about the whole thing.

Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images

In particular, she recalled a great meeting with Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau: “I was really excited to work with him, so I said, ‘If this doesn’t work out, I’m an actor for hire, so call me anytime.’”

Theo Wargo / Getty Images

And call her he did. “The best call you can receive is after you are rejected for something and then you get it,” she said.