First Look: In Luc Besson's 'Lucy' Scarlett Johansson Gets Superpowers

Okay, so it's not quite the solo Black Widow movie we've been waiting for. But Scarlett Johansson is getting her own superhero movie this summer, sort of. The film is directed by Luc Besson, and in Lucy Scarlett Johansson is a young woman who gains "superhero-level" powers via some drugs. This being a Luc Besson movie, this naturally leads to her using her newfound abilities to kick a lot of ass. Check out a first-look image from Lucy after the jump.

The script, also by Besson, has Johansson playing a woman forced to serve as a drug mule. When she accidentally absorbs the super-serum she's carting into her own system, she finds that her new abilities give her the upper hand over her exploiters.

An older report described the effects of the drugs in more specific detail: "She can absorb knowledge instantaneously, is able to move objects with her mind and can't feel pain and other discomforts." Definitely not someone you want against you, I'd wager.

Talking to the magazine, Besson sounded enthusiastic about Lucy's heroine. "I love to see a woman as a very strong character," he said. "It's like cooking: sugar with a ?bit of salt, and Lucy definitely can get salty."

It's a pretty intriguing premise, and Lucy certainly has the talent to bring it to life. Besson, as the guy behind The Professional, La Femme Nikita, and The Fifth Element, knows a thing or two about writing interesting female characters.

Meanwhile, Johansson has proved her action chops in multiple Marvel movies including the upcoming Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The rest of the cast looks pretty solid too. It includes Morgan Freeman, Choi Min-sik, and Analeigh Tipton.

The first trailer for Lucy is expected to land on iTunes April 2, with the movie itself scheduled for an August 8 opening.