Scarlett Johansson is setting the record straight on whether or not we’ll ever see Black Widow again in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The prolific actor portrayed Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, across the MCU in a multitude of films, culminating in Black Widow’s sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame. But with any comic book death, there’s always the possibility the hero will miraculously come back to life down the road. That’s at least the hope for Black Widow fans, especially with the MCU firmly in the Multiverse Saga. Unfortunately, if it were up to Johansson, it looks like Black Widow would stay deceased.
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InStyle spoke to Scarlet Johansson for its Spring Fashion & Beauty issue, where the topic of Black Widow came up. “Natasha is dead. She is dead. She’s dead. Okay?” Johansson said about Black Widow. “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.”
Is Scarlett Johansson telling the truth about Black Widow’s MCU return?
While Marvel fans probably won’t be pleased to hear what Scarlett Johansson had to say about Black Widow, we have to factor in whether or not we can truly trust her words. It’s become common for Marvel actors to downplay or deny that they’re involved in various projects, like with Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire returning for Spider-Man: No Way Home. Johansson’s Avengers teammate, Chris Evans, has even had to respond to reports that he’s making an MCU return for Avengers: Doomsday.
“That’s not true, though,” Evans told Esquire in January. “This always happens. I mean, it happens every couple years—ever since [Avengers]: Endgame. I’ve just stopped responding to it.” Evans then gave the same response that he previously shared with Anthony Mackie when he inquired: “Yeah, no—happily retired!”
This also isn’t the first time Scarlett Johansson has addressed a Black Widow return. While speaking to TODAY about her cosmetics line in 2023, she addressed Black Widow’s MCU status. “Oh my! I don’t know how that would… Is that a zombie film?” All of this speculation kicked into overdrive when a report speculated that the original Avengers could come back for another movie, which now presumably would be either Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars.
Fans may not realize this, but Scarlett Johansson is still very much a part of the MCU. When the cast and crew listings for Thunderbolts* were revealed, it showed that Johansson is part of the film as an executive producer. It makes sense, as Johansson was an executive producer on Marvel’s Black Widow (2021) – one of several MCU projects being pulled together for this Thunderbolts* ensemble film and having Johansson back as EP on Thunderbolts* – which will continue the stories of Black Widow characters Yelena Belova and Red Guardian – tracks.
Do you believe Black Widow will remain dead in the MCU, or is Scarlett Johansson just keeping fans on their toes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
