Media Secret: Hidden Johansson

Back in the Saddle

I woke up before my alarm, the early morning light filtering through the blinds. Today was the first full day back on set after what felt like a lifetime away. My body had adjusted to the stillness of Switzerland, the quiet, the slow pace of recovery, but now I was about to be thrown back into the frenzy of Hollywood, dodging paparazzi, hiding my face from the world, dealing with my new progress an new feelings.

Today Brie was picking me up for work, a promise she'd made when I told her I was finally coming back. After everything that happened last year, she'd stuck by me like family. She hadn't pushed, hadn't questioned my silence, but just stayed. That's what Brie did showed up without fanfare and made you feel like it was the most normal thing in the world.

I threw on a pair of jeans and a hoodie, hoping I could ease into this da. Not that I wouldn't be changing after I got to set anyways.

By the time I stepped outside, the cool LA air hit me, refreshing in the early morning haze. Brie's car pulled up not long after, and she gave a quick beep of the horn. The passenger door swung open before I even reached for it, and there she was Brie Larson, all smiles, sitting behind the wheel with her sunglasses perched on her head like she hadn't just starred in a billion-dollar movie franchise.

"Morning, stranger," she said with a grin as I slid into the passenger seat.

"Hey," I replied, my voice still thick with sleep.

Brie tossed a coffee cup into my lap and gestured toward it. "Figured you'd need it. Back to the grind."

I took a sip, the bitter warmth waking me up instantly. "You know me too well."

"Yeah, I do," she said, pulling the car into gear and merging onto the highway. "You ready for this?"

I shrugged. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Brie shot me a glance, her eyes flickering with a mix of concern and amusement. "You've been off from what I expected? Has something happened? You know since you got back?"

I exhaled slowly, my fingers tapping nervously against the cup. "Yeah, I just... Never mind i am more worried I guess. I don't want to be treated like I'm fragile."

She nodded, her smile softening. "You're not fragile. You're just... human. And you've been through a lot. No one's expecting you to come back and be exactly the same."

I knew she was right, but that didn't make it any easier. "I know. I just want to get back to work, you know? Get back to doing something that feels normal."

Brie laughed, shaking her head. "Normal? Dude, what about a world where we wear capes and fight gods is normal? Normal left the building a long time ago."

I chuckled, feeling some of the tension in my chest ease. Brie had a way of doing that—making even the heaviest situations feel a little lighter. She wasn't just a friend; she was like the older sister I never had.

As we drove, the city slowly woke up around us, the streets filling with cars and people going about their day, small sing along jamming out in the car anyone driving past the car probably thought we where crazy.

The closer we got to the studio, the more I could feel the familiar pull of anticipation.

The big, looming set buildings came into view, the massive trailers parked along the lot. It felt surreal, almost like I was watching it all unfold from a distance. A year ago, I'd been right here, in the thick of it, well this but in Scotland. And now, after everything that had happened Florence, the rehab, it all felt different.

"You're gonna be fine," Brie said, as if reading my mind. "Trust me."

We parked, and Brie was out of the car before I could unbuckle my seatbelt. She strode around to my side and playfully tugged at my sleeve. "Come on, superstar. Let's go remind everyone who's really carrying this movie."

I smirked. "Yeah, I'm sure you haven't been holding down the fort while I was gone."

Brie snorted. "Please, you know I don't care about that stuff. I'm just glad you're here. Who else am I doing to annoy?"

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I just punched her lightly in the arm as we got out the car and headed toward the trailers to put out stuff away before heading for make-up.

We reached the makeup trailer, and the door swung open to reveal Kirsten and Tara, both of them bustling around their stations, prepping brushes and palettes.

"Look who's finally decided to grace us with his presence!" Kirsten teased, pointing a brush in my direction.

I raised my hands in mock surrender. "I know, I know. Fashionably late."

Tara laughed, waving me over to the chair. "Mhm just a little late but we have that problem with brie on the daily she's too busy getting breakfast. Now sit down and let's make you pretty again."

"Wait are you saying I'm not already?" I joked and she swatted my shoulder as Kirsten handed me a coffee.

I sat, the familiar routine washing over me as they got to work. Brie plopped down in the chair next to me, scrolling through her phone as we all chatted about everything and nothing. It was like no time had passed at all.

After makeup, we headed to the costume where Melissa was waiting with Jupiter's armor. The moment I saw it hanging there, glinting under the studio lights, I felt a strange sense of comfort. This was my character. This was the world i got to create, No baggage, no broken inside or heartache.

Melissa handed me the costume, her eyes twinkling. "Think you still remember how to put this on?"

I smirked. "Let's find out."

Getting back into Jupiter's skin felt natural, like slipping into a second layer of myself. The armor fit perfectly, just as it always had, but this time, it felt like it was holding together more than just the character.

Once dressed, I stepped out onto the soundstage, where Taika Waititi was going over some notes with Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman. They spotted me, and Taika immediately broke into a grin, throwing his hands up in the air.

"There he is! The man of the hour!" he shouted, striding over and pulling me into a tight hug. "You ready to kick some ass, mate?"

Chris clapped me on the back, grinning. " There he is the new hero of tomorrow."

Natalie smiled warmly. "Welcome back ready for our first scenes back?"

"Thanks, guys," I said, my voice rough with emotion. "Lets get this fim made."

Taika clapped his hands together. "Alright, let's get into it. We've got a big scene today."

And just like that, I was back. Back in the world of gods and warriors, back with the people who had become like family.

As we ran through the lines and blocked out the action, I felt the weight of the past year lifting, just a little. Here, in this world, I could be someone else for a while. I could be Jupiter, fighting battles that weren't my own.