Scarlett Johansson took 'The Ghost in the Shell' role after therapy

Scarlett Johansson

Los Angeles: Actress Scarlett Johansson says she agreed to star in sci-fi crime drama film "The Ghost in the Shell" after consulting her therapist.

"I'd had my daughter a couple of months before and it just seemed like an enormous undertaking. But something about it was enigmatic and I sat on it and discussed it in therapy. It was on my mind," Johansson told Event magazine.

The actress has faced a backlash for her casting as the iconic character, and though she says she cares about people's opinions, she believes anyone could have played the part because her character The Major is "identity-less", reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Asked if she cares what people think, she said: "Well, of course. But this question is answered in the film. I'm playing a person that is completely identity-less. She is a human brain in a synthetic robot body."

The "Avengers" actress said she doesn't mind being given tight costumes in her action roles as it's just the same for men.

Asked why women are made to look "super-sexy" in action films, she said: "I don't know. That's hard to say because I work alongside guys who wear skintight leather leotards, you know, for work! You spend all day making jokes about their various codpiece sizes."