Scarlett Johansson Admits Black Widow's MCU Return Would Take A 'Marvel Miracle'
Even though Scarlett Johanssen was featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe prequel movie "Black Widow" in 2021, fans are quite well aware that in the MCU timeline, her character, Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, died in the 2019 blockbuster "Avengers: Endgame."
Of course, there are many more storylines that could be explored now that the door has been flung wide open to Marvel's Multiverse, where any number of characters could exist within alternate timelines whether they are alive or dead on Earth-616. And since word surfaced that Disney wants to resurrect two major Marvel heroes for a new Avengers movie — Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man and Johansson's Black Widow — members of the press are already asking the latter about the prospects of making a Marvel comeback.
In an interview with NBC's "Today" show about her skincare line The Outset as well as her forthcoming movie "Tower of Terror," co-host Al Roker asked Johansson if there was any truth to rumors that she could suit up as Black Widow again. "I think it might be ... I think it was the end, right?" she answered, referencing Black Widow's fate in the MCU. "I don't know how you come back from that."
Johansson then confirmed for "Today" that Black Widow died in "Avengers: Endgame." "She did, she did. She passed," the actor said.
Roker then pressed for a bit more information about Black Widow being revived for more, to which Johansson replied, "It would be a miracle. It would be [a] real Marvel miracle. It would be a marvel. But, you know, who knows? Eh ... I'm not sure."
Disney is in Johansson's good graces again after her Black Widow lawsuit
The premiere of "Black Widow" during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 was a bumpy ride for Scarlett Johansson, who sued Disney over the streaming release. The actor's suit alleged that she lost wages due to the underwhelming box office gross of "Black Widow" since Disney simultaneously premiered the film on their streaming service Disney+ for a premium fee.
About three months after she took legal action against the studio in late July 2021, Disney agreed to settle Johansson's lawsuit. Although the terms of the settlement were not disclosed, sources told Deadline that Disney paid out $40 million to the actor.
Apparently, the settlement was enough to put the entertainment giant back in Johansson's good graces, as evidenced by her upcoming "Tower of Terror" project, a film based on the famous Disney World ride. Plus, in June 2023, a report surfaced that Johansson's mysterious Marvel project is still happening despite delays. The delays in June were caused by the Writers Guild of America strike against Hollywood's studios, which, of course, was followed by the SAG-AFTRA work stoppage. Both strikes have since been settled.
During the "Today" interview, Johansson joked that one way she would be down with more Marvel would be to come back as a vampire or zombie version of Black Widow — an idea that doesn't seem so far-fetched, given how MCU superheroes in zombie form have been featured in Marvel's Disney+ series "What If ... ?"