Scarlett Johansson left a mark as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but insists that she character is dead.
With Avengers: Doomsday expected to begin filming in a couple of weeks, all eyes will be on the cast. Certainly Marvel and the Russo Brothers will be keeping the set on full lockdown as they’re well aware that fans want to know which Avengers will be returning. Some have been confirmed and others are playing dumb but Scarlett Johansson is flat-out saying it’s impossible for her to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Speaking with InStyle, Johansson said that she is 100% not reprising her Marvel role of Black Widow aka Natasha Romanoff due to how the timeline of Doomsday lines up with Endgame, in which she sacrificed herself so the Avengers could get the Soul Stone. “Natasha is dead. She is dead. She’s dead. Okay? [Fans] 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.” That’s pretty much in line with everything Johansson has had to say about reprising Black Widow.
That seems reasonable enough, but Johansson knows full well that just because a character dies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn’t mean we’ll never see them again considering all of the multiverses and timeline hops. At the same time, she has a point in wanting to let Natasha have her “hero moment”, something she absolutely got in Endgame. If she returns, wouldn’t that just diminish the impact she had? Of course, that won’t stop a single rumor from being kicked around.
And so while Scarlett Johansson may not plan on appearing onscreen for Marvel ever again, she is an executive producer on Thunderbolts*, which arrives on May 2nd and will conclude Phase Five of the MCU. Florence Pugh, who acted alongside Johansson in Black Widow as Yelena Belova, stars with Sebastian Stan, David Harbour and more.
What do you think? Do the Avengers need Black Widow and should Scarlett Johansson have another outing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Spin us your take in the comments section below.
