Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh both battled pneumonia while shooting 'Black Widow,' director says

• "Scarlett and her co-star Florence Pugh were both shooting while ill with pneumonia," Director Cate Shortland told the Gentlewoman
• Director Cate Shortland told the Gentlewoman that the shoot was "like being in the army."
• "Black Widow" is Johansson's first solo outing as Natasha Romanoff, and will release on July 9.

"Black Widow" director Cate Shortland has revealed that stars Scarlett Johnasson and Florence Pugh both had pneumonia while shooting the upcoming Marvel movie.

In a feature on Johansson in The Gentlewoman magazine, Johansson and her director Shortland discussed the gruelling shoot for the movie.

"It was like being in the army," Shortland told the Gentlewoman, who wrote: "By the end, Scarlett and her co-star Florence Pugh were both shooting while ill with pneumonia."

The shoot, which kicked off in May 2018 and officially wrapped in October 2019, involved multiple shooting locations including the US, the UK, Norway, Hungary, and Morocco.

Shortland told the Gentlewoman that Johansson was aware of the importance of "Black Widow," Marvel's second-ever movie with a female lead after 2019's "Captain Marvel."

"She really pushed to make something that wasn't flimsy or superficial. She wanted to make something that meant a lot to young people and to women," Shortland said.

"And she knew it was possibly her last film as Black Widow - she didn't want to leave Marvel making a feel-good movie."

"Black Widow" is said to be Johansson's last outing as Black Widow, although Marvel fans thought they saw the character in the trailer for the upcoming Disney Plus series "Loki."

The movie is Johansson's first solo outing as Natasha Romanoff after playing the character in supporting roles in eight other MCU movies. Johansson told the Gentlewoman that it has been "exposing" to carry her own movie for the first time in the MCU, but that it was "time" for it to happen.

The movie, set just after "Captain America: Civil War," follows Romanoff confronting a conspiracy that links back to her dangerous past.

Pugh makes her debut in the MCU as Belova, a sister-like character to Natasha. Shortland has said that the movie will act as a passing the baton moment between Natasha and Belova, and that Pugh could feature in future Marvel movies. Rachel Weisz, David Harbour, and Ray Winstone also star in "Black Widow," which is scheduled to be released simultaneously in theaters and on Disney Plus on July 9.

In the same interview, Johansson said that she has made a career out of past controversies, but said she is always going to have opinions because that's who she is.

"I don't think actors have obligations to have a public role in society. Some people want to, but the idea that you're obligated to because you're in the public eye is unfair. You didn't choose to be a politician, you're an actor," Johansson said.

Watch the trailer for "Black Widow" below: