Scarlett Johansson rules out an MCU return as Black Widow
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Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow met a tragic fate in Avengers: Endgame, yet the actress appeared in her long-overdue solo film after that. It was set a few years before Endgame and introduced the recurring character Yelena Belova (played by Florence Pugh), who's set to continue being a big part of the MCU going forward.
That does leave some scope to have Black Widow feature in further flashbacks — and, of course, there's the fact death is rarely permanent in comic book-related stories. But Johansson has ruled any of that out.
Speaking to Variety for a lengthy interview, the actress confirmed she won't do any more Marvel Cinematic Universe projects, calling the fact "bittersweet".
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"I am sad, of course," she said. "I absolutely loved every filming experience I had, working 10 years with Marvel and with that amazing cast, and I love the character Natasha.
"I have a lot of empathy for her, and it was amazing to build that character over such a long period of time. I also feel really good about her story coming to a close. I think she has a lot of dignity in her legacy."
The solo Black Widow movie was also known for the real-world battle between Johansson and Disney. In 2021, Johansson took legal action against the House of Mouse, arguing that the film's joint release in cinemas and for purchase on Disney+ damaged its box office gross, to which her pay was tied.
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At the time, Disney reps stated: "There is no merit whatsoever to this filing." The suit was settled for an undisclosed sum in October 2021.
Reflecting on those events, Johansson told Variety: "I couldn't even walk through a restaurant without somebody saying, 'Good for you. Stand up for yourself.' I could see that it had a bigger impact.
"I got support from strangers that have no skin in the game at all."
Black Widow is streaming on Disney+.
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