Black Widow: Scarlett Johansson Is Saying “Goodbye” to Natasha Romanoff (Exclusive)

Black Widow is shaping up to be Scarlett Johansson‘s final run with the Natasha Romanoff character which she has been playing since 2010’s Iron Man 2. The character was killed off in Avengers: Endgame when a sacrifice was called for as a means to obtain the Soul Stone for the Avengers in their fight to undo Thanos killing half of the universe. Now, two years since the world saw Natasha’s fate in Endgame, a Black Widow prequel is aiming to fill in the blanks about Natasha’s life in the MCU and Johansson seems to be truly stepping away from the role if her words in an interview with ComicBook.com are any indication.

“Honestly, I feel like it’s always, it feels great to leave a party when it’s still raging and I think that this film [Black Widow] feels very much like it’s alive and fresh and powerful and I feel really pleased with it,” Johansson said. “I feel really happy with the work that we’ve done for this decade of time and, you know, it’s bitter sweet to say, ‘Goodbye,’ but if you love something, you need to set it free!”

Johansson first appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Iron Man 2 before going on to star in The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. For some moviegoers, the death in Avengers: Endgame felt a bit unceremonious as some didn’t grieve, thinking the character would be brought back to life as the mission of the film was to resurrect those who were killed by Thanos. Then, the film had moved quickly back into the action and main story leaving little time for fans to take in the character’s end.

“In some weird, messed up, backwards way, if any person could be truly altruistic and totally weird, because nobody is obviously, but actually the act that she… Her sacrifice was a truly altruistic offering,” Johansson said of Natasha’s decision to earn the Soul Stone for the Avengers and spare Clint Barton’s life while talking to ComicBook.com on the movie’s set. “I think she really sacrifices herself, in a way, no just really out of love, for love, she saves her friend. She saves everyone, but she saves her friend. And I think that just being in that kind of head space and being able to make that decision, that selfless decision, that selfless act, is so incredibly powerful. It’s amazing that she could be in that head space to do that.”

Are you hoping Johansson returns to the role of Black Widow in a future Marvel movie? Share your thoughts in the comment section or send them my way on Instagram! Black Widow hits theaters on July 9.