After Avengers: Endgame, it's no secret that Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff is dead and gone, so where does that leave the Black Widow franchise? It's certainly possible that the movie will be a single. standalone adventure, but director Cate Shortland is fully on board with the idea of a sequel.
Asked specifically by Radio Times if she thinks a follow-up is possible, the filmmaker said, "I think following a different character, yes. I think Scarlett is really happy that she’s leaving the party, you know, and she’s not the last to leave. She decided she wanted to go. And I don’t think she would want to come back at the moment."
Shortland certainly seemed to enjoy her experience in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, adding: "I mean, all the beautiful fights and the spectacle, and I think just creating something really fun and joyous is pretty addictive. So yeah, I would do it again. Yes. I feel really happy about it. Usually, I feel dread when I have something coming out, but this time, I feel really happy. I think because it was such a group effort."
It definitely feels like Black Widow was partly made with the intention of setting the stage for Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova to return in more than just Hawkeye (where Marvel Studios has confirmed we'll see her again). However, for Shortland, there's another character she hopes to return to.
"I don’t have a crystal ball," she responded when asked which characters we could see down the line. "Though I think Alexi has so much charisma and is so funny...and he has declared he wants a battle with Captain America. But I think he would poo his pants," she laughed. "So I don’t know if I want to watch that. We’ll put him in a diaper."
Black Widow arrives in theaters and on Disney+'s Premier Access service on July 9. The movie currently sits at 85% on Rotten Tomatoes and in our review, we concluded by saying, "Black Widow is Bourne meets Bond meets Terminator...with two outstanding, badass female leads. Action-packed, funny, and at times surprisingly gut-wrenching, Cate Shortland's vision for the MCU is bold, empowering, and utterly unmissable."
Which of these Black Widow characters are you most excited to see in action?