Emily Blunt: Iron Man 2 (2010)

Emily Blunt was Marvel’s first choice for Black Widow in Iron Man 2, but she had to turn it down due to scheduling conflicts. Speaking to DJ Howard Stern, she explained: “I love Robert Downey Jr. and I certainly would’ve loved to throw down with him, but I was contracted to another film. It was a bit of a heartbreaker for me.”

The role eventually went to Scarlett Johansson, whose Black Widow went on to appear in multiple Marvel blockbusters that together grossed billions worldwide, including her own 2021 solo outing which earned $379.8 million.