In the realm of comic books, death is rarely permanent. Even so, when it comes to comic book movies, actors can make death more permanent. In the case of Black Widow, Scarlett Johansson has made it pretty clear that her beloved character is dead in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So if Natasha Romanoff ever does come back, it likely won’t be Johansson filling those shoes.
In a recent interview with InStyle, Johansson addressed a possible return to the MCU in the future. Black Widow died in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Her solo film Black Widow, which was a prequel, debuted in 2021, which saw her passing the baton to Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova. As the Oscar-nominated actress tells it, she is going to stay dead.
“Natasha is dead. She is dead. She’s dead. Okay? They just don’t want to believe it. They’re like, ‘But she could come back!’ Look, I think the balance of the entire universe is held in her hand. We’re going to have to let it go. She saved the world. Let her have her hero moment.”
Johansson made her debut as Natasha in 2010’s Iron Man 2. She then played the character for more than a decade, appearing in all four Avengers films, as well as Captain America: The Winter Soldier, among others. Johansson has moved on to other projects, including this summer’s Jurassic World Dominion. It sounds very much like she has no plans on circling back to Marvel Studios any time soon.
Here is the synopsis for Black Widow.
“In Marvel Studios’ action-packed spy thriller Black Widow Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.”
Marvel Studios is coming up on the end of Phase 5 with the release of Thunderbolts in May. That film will see Pugh’s Yelena return, alongside the likes of Bucky Barnes and other outcasts from the MCU. From there, we’ve got Fantastic Four: First Steps in July, before the Multiverse Saga comes to a close.
The Russo Brothers are set to direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars back-to-back. Doomsday, which will introduce Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, hits theaters next year, with Secret Wars closing out Phase 6 and the Multiverse Saga in 2027. The films are expected to be major events with massive casts. Given the multiverse of it all, it’s conceivable that Johansson could return in some capacity. If Marvel wants that to happen, it sounds like it may take some convincing.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit theaters on May 1, 2026. Secret Wars will follow on May 7, 2027.
What do you think? Would you like to see Black Widow return to the MCU? Or do you think it’s better left alone? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Twitter!
