Marvel Studios has proven that it can make a movie about a sentient tree and a talking raccoon in to the highest grossing film of the year, so what's the hold-up on a Black Widow movie? Despite playing major roles in 'The Avengers,' 'Iron Man 2' and 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier,' Scarlett Johansson's badass black ops agent has yet to receive a solo outing to call her own. Fans have demanded to know why. Journalists have grilled Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige about it. Fellow actresses have lobbied on her behalf. And now, Johansson's 'Avengers 2' co-star Robert Downey Jr. has tossed in his two cents.

As the unofficial mascot of the Marvel cinematic universe (he's pretty much Mickey Mouse to this corner of the Disney empire), Downey Jr.'s words and opinions feel like they carry a lot of weight. So when he chimes in with a comment that's essentially "Yeah, there really should be a female-led superhero movie, huh?", we can't help but feel slightly vindicated for wondering where the heck a 'Black Widow' or even a 'Captain Marvel' movie is.

USA Today caught up with Downey Jr. and after he spoke at length about the importance of characters like Pepper Potts and Gamora, he got down to brass tacks:

It would be kind of more appropriate for a character that already was like a Black Widow (to lead a movie). It just seems like whatever Scarlett does people want to go see it.

And he's right about that! Johansson's 'Lucy' was one of the biggest hits of the summer, effortlessly outgrossing many action films with traditional male leads. Combine that with the indie cred earned by 'Under the Skin' and her winning supporting turn in the second 'Captain America' film and you have an actress who's having one helluva 2014 and deserves a solo superhero film to call her own, thank you very much.

Downey Jr. went on, explaining that every member of the Avengers deserves to carry their own film series:

The funny thing is honestly at this point everyone deserves a franchise. I think Jeremy Renner is - when folks see the Avengers: Age of Ultron he's just a rockstar, a badass. And Ruffalo is pumped. He does great (work). I'd like to hear them talk even more seriously about a Hulk franchise, because that's been one of the toughest ones to get right. But I'm sure that my parent company is feeling expansive and and bold after the summer they've had.

We like to imagine him as the Oprah of the Marvel universe: "You get a franchise and you get a franchise and you get a franchise...!"

But in all seriousness, Downey Jr. has a point. If Marvel can make 'Guardians of the Galaxy' into a smash hit in the same year as 'Captain America: The Winter Solider,' there really isn't anything stopping them from building films around characters we already know and love. Get on that, Marvel.

In any case, Downey Jr. and Johansson will once again fight alongside the other members of the Avengers in 'Avengers 2,' which opens on May 1, 2015.

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