‘Black Widow’ Actress Scarlett Johansson Squashes Miraculous Return For ‘Avengers: Doomsday’: “Natasha Is Dead”

With “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars” on deck with The Russo Brothers set to helm those next two installments, Black Widow actress Scarlett Johansson (“Jurassic World Rebirth”) is making Marvel Cinematic Universe fans aware that she won’t be making a miraculous return to the franchise like Robert Downey Jr. (in the Doctor Doom variant role).

Johansson, who first played S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Natasha Romanoff in “Iron Man 2” (replacing Emily Blunt) and the character sacrificing herself in “Avengers: Endgame” before getting an overdue “Black Widow” solo film, is reiterating to InStyle in a recent interview that Nat is “dead” and MCU fans need to accept that.

READ MORE: Chris Evans Denies Reports He’ll Return To Marvel In ‘Avengers: Doomsday’: “I’m Happily Retired”

“Natasha is dead. She is dead. She’s dead. Okay? They just don’t want to believe it,” Johansson said of Marvel fans thinking she’ll be automatically returning for the next “Avengers” films. “They’re like, ‘But she could come back!’ Look, I think the balance of the entire universe is held in her hand. We’re going to have to let her go. She saved the world. Let her have her hero moment.”

That sentiment is a bit refreshing but could have a lot to do with the fallout between Johansson and Disney‘s former CEO Bob Chapek over money the actress was owed when the studio pivoted the exclusive theatrical release of “Black Widow” to a hybrid one (with a Disney+ option to buy) impacting her backend earning potential. Thankfully, that was all settled before it reached the courts.

Then again, with The Multiverse still in full swing, anything is possible but taking Johansson’s comments at face value it sounds like she’s going to stay retired like franchise co-star Chris Evans. Some folks we do know will be showing up include Anthony Mackie‘s Captain America and Benedict Cumberbatch‘s Doctor Strange.

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But with that said, Florence Pugh is reprising the Yelena Belova role in “Thunderbolts*” and it was revealed that Shira Haas‘ Sabra from “Captain America: Brave New World” is part of the Black Widow Program too, so there are plenty of actresses to pick up the mantle in future films if the Russos want to add a Widow in their films without Johansson.