Black Widow, aka Natasha Romanoff, was one of the original Avengers and a fan favorite character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). However, she met her end in Avengers: Endgame, sacrificing herself on Vormir so that Hawkeye could obtain the Soul Stone. Her death was given more context in the Black Widow solo movie, which took place between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. So now that Black Widow is dead in the current MCU timeline, could she ever return? There are a few potential ways that we could see Scarlett Johansson back as Black Widow in future Marvel movies.
Possibility 1: Alternate Timeline/Multiverse
The MCU has introduced the concept of the multiverse, alternative realities that exist parallel to the main MCU timeline. This was seen in Loki, What If…?, and will play a major role in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. One possibility is that we could see a variant version of Natasha Romanoff from another universe. In the comics, there are examples of alternate universe versions of Black Widow that could be adapted into the movies. Or they could create a new version just for the MCU. Even though it wouldn’t be the original Natasha, it would allow Scarlett Johansson to play a variation of Black Widow again.
Possibility 2: Prequel Movie
Black Widow served as an origin story for Natasha, but there is still room for more of her backstory to be told. A second prequel film, either theatrical release or Disney+ series, could show more of her early life and exploits as a Russian spy and assassin. As long as it was set before the events of the existing MCU movies, Scarlett Johansson could reprise the role one more time. Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova could also be included as a way to pass the Black Widow mantle.
Possibility 3: Flashbacks
We could see Scarlett Johansson return as Black Widow in flashback scenes in future movies. This technique has been used before, with Robert Downey Jr. appearing as Tony Stark in a brief flashback in Civil War even after his character died in Endgame. Flashbacks focused on Black Widow’s shared history with other Avengers like Hawkeye or Captain America could work. Or they could even use unused footage of Johansson from previous films. That way she wouldn’t need to film new scenes.
Possibility 4: Resurrection
Death is rarely permanent in superhero stories. There are always comic book style plot devices that can be used to bring back dead characters. Here are a few examples of how Black Widow could potentially be resurrected:
- The Soul Stone returns her: In the comics, the Soul Stone has been shown to contain souls within it. If someone were to get the Soul Stone from Vormir again, they could possibly retrieve Natasha.
- Time Stone reverses her death: The Time Stone allows manipulating time. Doctor Strange still has it in the current MCU timeline. He could theoretically go back and prevent her death.
- Cloning: In the comics, a Life Model Decoy version of Natasha was created. The movies could use cloning technology to bring her back in some form.
- Cosmic entity intervention: Powerful cosmic beings like The Watcher could bring her back to life for some future cosmic event.
Any of these methods, while a bit unlikely, could theoretically revive Black Widow in future films if the writers wanted to.
Analysis of Possibilities
To evaluate which option is most likely for Scarlett Johansson to return as Black Widow, here is an analysis of each possibility:
| Possibility | Likelihood | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alternate Timeline/Multiverse | High |
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| Prequel Movie | Medium |
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| Flashbacks | High |
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| Resurrection | Low |
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Based on this analysis, the most likely options are either introducing a variant Black Widow from the multiverse or using flashbacks to show her again briefly. A full resurrection seems unlikely since it would undermine the impact of her death. While a prequel film is possible, there may be limited interest with Scarlett Johansson finished in the main role.
Conclusion
In summary, there are certainly possibilities that Scarlett Johansson could return as some version of Black Widow in future MCU films. However, it likely won’t be as the original Natasha Romanoff given her death in Endgame. Variants from other universes or prequel settings would allow the most plausible way to see Johansson back in the role. Brief flashback appearances also seem very possible as a way to honor the character’s legacy. But fans shouldn’t get their hopes up for a straightforward resurrection, as that undercuts her dramatic sacrifice. While we can never say never in superhero storytelling, Black Widow returning from the dead cheaply seems unlikely. At most, we can hope for some form of the character to live on while remembering her pivotal contributions to the Infinity Saga.