As exciting as it is to see Marvel’s new titles for Phase 4, it’s difficult to accept that the studio is moving on from some of the characters that made its Phase 3 so epic and legendary.Avengers: Endgamegave fans some of the hardest-to-swallow departures to date, including Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, Chris Evans' Captain America, and Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow. While there’s alwaysa chance that Marvel brings them backat some point (perhaps for some special purpose), the possibility of that actually happening is quite unlikely.
For Johansson in particular, the future of her character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is complicated, to say the least. While she is technically in Phase 4 with her upcoming solo appearance inBlack Widow, there doesn’t seem to be any indication that she will be involved in any other MCU projects beyond that. Not only is Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff definitively dead in the main timeline, butBlack Widowitself is a prequel that takes place during Phase 3 events; that is, betweenCaptain America: Civil WarandAvengers: Infinity War. With that in mind, it appears that the chances of giving Johansson’s Romanoff any new story arcs beyond the events ofEndgameare slim to none.
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So what does Johansson have to say about all this? Well, like most fans, she feels bittersweet about the whole situation. In an interview withTotal FilmMagazine, she said that she is “never going to be ready not to be a part of it,” especially since her castmates have become her family and she’d hate to miss out on important future developments in the MCU.
That said, she did leave her thoughts on the situation open-ended, saying that she hopes she’ll have an “opportunity to collaborate” with Marvel in some other way in the future. For now,she will be taking a break from actinguntil things have settled down with the pandemic.
At the same time, Johansson made it clear that she has no regrets, particularly with theBlack Widowfilm.She’s “incredibly proud” of the film, saying that it is strong, beautiful, and crafted with intention and purpose. She also said that she feels really “good about moving on from this chapter” - a statement that could be hinting at a major development in the upcoming film. Given the appearance ofFlorence Pugh’s Yelena Belovain the film, the prevailing theory is that Johansson’s Romanoff will be passing on the torch to her fellow comrade.
Black Widowis scheduled for release in theatres and on Disney Plus with Premier Access this July 19, 2025.
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