Marvel fans just can’t seem to let the MCU’s deceased heroes go, as Scarlett Johansson is now pleading with fans to let Black Widow rest. Johansson first portrayed Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow, in Iron Man 2, and the character quickly became a staple of the MCU, joining the Avengers when they first assembled in, well… The Avengers. Romanoff boldly sacrificed herself in Avengers: Endgame for the Soul Stone and only came back once more for the prequel film, Black Widow. But fans still assume that Johansson will return for Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, a rumor which she desperately wants to put to rest.
“Natasha is dead,” Johansson said to InStyle Magazine when asked about potentially returning to the MCU. Of course, it may seem hard to trust any former Marvel actor who says they’re not coming back to the superhero franchise, especially after Andrew Garfield blatantly lied about his role in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Still, with Robert Downey Jr. coming back to play another character in Avengers: Doomsday, there might be a hint of truth in Johansson’s answer. She continued:

“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.”

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For Johansson, not wanting Natasha Romanoff to return to the MCU comes from a narrative perspective, rather than for any personal reasons. Black Widow’s sacrifice in Endgame was one of the film’s most emotional moments. To have her magically return would rob that scene of its consequences and make Natasha’s self-sacrifice ultimately seem worthless. Johansson explained, “She saved the world. Let her have her hero moment.”
Black Widow Doesn’t Need To Return to the MCU

Marvel Studios

In the build up to Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, every actor that has been within a 100 ft radius of the MCU is being asked if they will reprise their role in the new movie. Some characters, like Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, still have stories to be told in the MCU. However, for the characters that died nearly 10 movies ago (or more), it’s time for us to finally let them go. As previously mentioned, resurrecting dead characters undercuts the emotional toll of their deaths. It’s arguably the biggest complaint MCU fans have about the current Multiverse saga, as it feels like there are no consequences to anything as it happened differently in an alternate timeline.
In Scarlett Johansson’s case, there is also the issue of scheduling conflicts. Johansson was a renowned actress way before she joined the MCU. But, since her time as Black Widow came to an end, she’s starred in everything from the Transformers franchise to Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City. Next up, Johansson will be battling dinosaurs in Gareth Edwards’ Jurassic World: Rebirth, alongside Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, and Ed Skrein. Jurassic World: Rebirth releases in theaters on Jul. 2, 2025.
Source: InStyle Magazine

Black Widow

Release Date

July 9, 2021

Runtime

134 minutes