MCU Star Scarlett Johansson Casts Doubt on Black Widow Return: 'She's Dead'

Scarlett Johansson, a veteran of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), has definitively stated that Black Widow is dead and shows no interest in reprising the role. During an interview with InStyle, while promoting her upcoming role in Jurassic World: Dominion, Johansson addressed persistent fan speculation about Natasha Romanoff's return. She emphatically declared, “Natasha is dead. She is dead. She's dead. Okay?”

Johansson acknowledges the character's importance to her career but firmly believes it's time to accept Black Widow's fate. Her death in Avengers: Endgame, a sacrifice to save Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), was presented as unambiguous. Despite this, fan theories about her potential return persist. Johansson commented on this, saying, “They just don't want to believe it... 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.”

The desire to resurrect deceased characters is a long-standing phenomenon within the MCU fandom. Upcoming films like Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars are anticipated as potential vehicles for cameos, fueling speculation. While Robert Downey Jr. is confirmed to play Doctor Doom, and rumors circulated (and subsequently denied by Chris Evans) about a Captain America return, Hayley Atwell's Agent Carter, despite dying twice in the MCU, is still rumored for Doomsday. Given this context, Johansson's denial of a Black Widow return is understandable, though unlikely to quell fan speculation. We will have to wait until Avengers: Doomsday (May 1, 2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (May 7, 2027) to see which characters, living or dead, appear.

For more on the MCU, explore our list of upcoming movies and shows. Don't forget to check out the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again, premiering tonight.