Scarlett Johansson’s First Lead TV Role Sees Her Return to an Earlier Movie

Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson has landed her first leading TV role in Just Cause.

According to Deadline, Johansson will both star in and executive produce the Just Cause show for Amazon Studios, based on the 1992 novel by John Katzenbach.

Of course, Johansson is no stranger to this story – the novel was first adapted into a movie in 1995 starring Sean Connery as Harvard professor Paul Armstrong, while Johansson played his daughter, Katie, in one of her first big screen roles at the age of 10.

Just Cause appears to be going in a different direction this time though. Rather than reprising her earlier role, Johansson has instead been cast as Madison “Madi” Cowart, a reporter for a Florida newspaper who comes to believe a death row prisoner’s claims of innocence after she’s assigned to cover their final days.

The series has been picked up with a straight-to-series order from Amazon Studios and is being made by Warner Bros. TV and writer Christy Hall.

Johansson’s production company These Pictures is producing along with Warner Bros. TV. Hall will also executive produce along with Johansson, Jonathan Lia, and Keenan Flynn. These Pictures head of TV, Zara Duff, will oversee the show.

Johansson recently wrapped up her time Natasha Romanoff with Marvel’s Black Widow and is currently in production on Project Artemis opposite Channing Tatum. She’s also starring in the upcoming Wes Anderson film, Asteroid City, as well as My Mother’s Wedding by director Kristin Scott Thomas.

Although she (presumably) won’t be back as Black Widow, Johansson isn’t quite done with the MCU. The actress is also still linked to a mystery Marvel project which she will produce.

“We are already working with Scarlett on another non-Black Widow related top secret Marvel Studios project with her as a producer,” said Marvel boss Kevin Feige. “Scarlett is one of the most talented, versatile, and beloved actors of our time.”

Want to read more about Marvel’s upcoming projects? Check out our rankings of every Phase 4 film and TV show as well as every loose end in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.