Scarlett Johansson is one of the most notable actresses working today, with her most iconic role being Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since making her MCU debut in 2010’s Iron Man 2, Johansson has exploded in popularity, going on to work on blockbusters like 2016’s The Jungle Book, 2017’s Ghost in the Shell, and 2025’s Jurassic World Rebirth, as well as critically acclaimed films like 2019’s Marriage Story, 2019’s Jojo Rabbit, and 2023’s Asteroid City.
However, before Johansson joined the highest-grossing movie franchise of all time, she still had some notable roles. For example, she appeared in 2003’s Lost in Translation, one of her early breakout roles, and she had a voice role in 2004’s The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. Still, arguably her best movie pre-MCU was this Christopher Nolan film that she co-starred in with two other superhero icons.
Only a year after kicking off his The Dark Knight trilogy with Batman Begins, director Christopher Nolan released 2006’s The Prestige, which remains one of his most underrated films. Set in late-19th century London, the movie tells the story of two former magic partners who now perform on their own as rival magicians. After one of them manages to pull off a seemingly impossible teleportation trick, the other becomes obsessed with learning how it’s done, leading to an escalating back-and-forth between the former friendly performers.
The film is a performance powerhouse, featuring an all-star cast that rivals any other Nolan picture. Christian Bale stars as Alfred “The Professor” Borden, reuniting with Nolan after having played Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman Begins. The other magician, Lord Caldlow/Robert Angier, is played by Hugh Jackman, who throughout the early 2000s had made a name for himself playing Wolverine in FOX’s X-Men films. On top of that, Michael Caine stars alongside them as a stage engineer named John Cutter, with the actor having previously portrayed Batman’s butler Alfred in Batman Begins.
Although viewers didn’t know it at the time, another live-action superhero in the making starred in The Prestige as well. Scarlett Johansson plays Olivia Wenscombe, assistant to Angier during their magic act (as well as his wife). Johansson is incredible in the role, and its another early win that established her as one of Hollywood’s best actresses.
Sadly, Johansson hasn’t appeared in a Nolan movie since, which is surprising considering that the director is known for reusing actors like Bale, Caine, Anne Hathaway, Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, and more. While it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that her obligations to the MCU prevented her from appearing in another Nolan film, he has made Oppenheimer and The Odyssey since her exit from the franchise in 2021, while Johansson has worked with beloved directors like Taika Waititi and Wes Anderson. However, this does make The Prestige unique, as it is the only collaboration between the fan-favorite actress and director.
The Prestige is a unique film in Nolan’s filmography, which tends to be full of grounded movies that are often historical epics or action films. While The Prestige does take place in the past, it is a sci-fi drama that contains some of the most fantastical story beats in Nolan’s pre-Odyssey filmography. On top of that, it was an early example of the director casting musicians in major roles. While Tim Booth previously played Victor Zsasz in Batman Begins, David Bowie has a much larger role as Nikola Tesla in The Prestige, a trend that would continue with casting choices like Harry Styles in Dunkirk and Travis Scott in The Odyssey.
While The Prestige isn’t talked about as frequently as some of Nolan’s bigger hits, it is easily one of the most unique entries in his filmography. The non-linear storytelling is used to a masterful effect here, and it contains some of the best performances that Nolan has directed. The film is incredibly underrated, with it only having 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, but nevertheless it is absolutely a standout. The Prestige is from a different era of Nolan movies, before he got massive budgets and had the full confidence of studios and audiences. That is one of the reasons why The Prestige is so good, as it is an early big swing from Nolan that wound up being a home run for him and a pre-Avengers spotlight for Johansson.
