November’s Black Widow has long been heralded as the swansong for Scarlett Johansson‘s Natasha Romanoff, who will headline a spinoff that’s been ten years in the making after becoming one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most popular characters. Having been killed off in Avengers: Endgame, there’s seemingly no place for the former S.H.I.E.L.D. operative in the main timeline, but death isn’t exactly an obstacle that comic book movies can’t easily overcome.
Even though neither of them made it out of Endgame alive, both Johansson and Robert Downey Jr. have frequently found themselves linked to a possible return to the MCU at some point down the road, and the former’s solo movie hasn’t even been released yet. Director Cate Shortland seemed to confirm the speculation that Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova would assume the mantle on a permanent basis, but we’ve now heard from our sources – the same ones who told us Ben Affleck is returning for The Flash and a Witcher prequel is in development, both of which were correct – that Natasha might not be gone for long.
According to our intel, Marvel are set to keep their cards very close to the chest until Black Widow hits theaters, but Scarlett Johansson has reportedly signed on the dotted line and agreed to a deal to return to the MCU. While details are thin on the ground, the studio obviously needs to be careful about how they bring her back.
Of course, there are several options in regards to how Nat could return, with time travel, flashbacks and alternate realities all on the table, but as of yet, we don’t know how exactly the character will be back on our screens – only that she will at some point. And while some fans will no doubt be overjoyed to see her again, a Black Widow comeback could also cause serious creative headaches if not handled properly.
