Scarlett Johansson Casts Doubt on Any MCU Return

Wondering if Scarlett Johansson will be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe? According to the actor who played Black Widow in several Marvel movies, she doesn’t see herself returning to the MCU.

Appearing on The Today Show, Johansson was asked about a possible return to the MCU. Replying to co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, she said, “It would be a miracle.”

The character was killed off in Avengers: Endgame, sacrificing herself so Hawkeye could obtain the Soul Stone. We’re still a little fuzzy about how Captain America put the Soul Stone back, but Black Widow remained dead in the MCU. Her solo movie, released post-Endgame, was set well before Thanos went all Snap-happy.

Johansson even gave Al Roker a more tongue-in-cheek answer, replying that, “Could it be a vampire version of the character? Cause I’m here for that, like a zombie version, maybe.”

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Unfortunately, while we got a Marvel Zombies episode of What If…?, Johansson didn’t get to partake. And, unlike the original comic, that show’s undead weren’t particularly vocal.

This isn’t the first time Johansson has underlined the unlikelihood of an MCU return. On Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop podcast, she remarked, “I’m done. Chapter is over. I did all that I had to do. Also, coming back and playing a character again and again, over a decade of time, is such a unique experience.”

It’s possible that Marvel will offer Johansson such a ridiculous amount of money that she’ll return, whether that’s as a variant of Black Widow or her original self. The studio has apparently had its eye on several other “dead” Avengers for a future MCU project.

However, going by Michael Shannon’s experience on The Flash, where he felt like an “action figure,” a return via the multiverse might not deliver the return that Black Widow fans expect. For now, it looks as if we can count Johansson’s Black Widow out of future MCU movies.