Scarlett Johansson first played Natasha Romanoff in 2008's Iron Man and bid farewell to the role over a decade later when Black Widow sacrificed herself to help save the universe in Avengers: Endgame.
However, in an unexpected turn of events, a Black Widow movie followed two years later. Set between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, it filled in some of the gaps in Natasha's past and gave the MCU a new Black Widow in Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova.
Yelena's debut alone made Black Widow a worthwhile cause, but it still wasn't the movie many fans wanted. Johansson later served as an executive producer on Thunderbolts*, likely because of the movie's connections to her 2021 blockbuster.
Still, it seems her time as Natasha Romanoff is over, though that doesn't necessarily mean she's completely severed ties with the MCU.
Talking to Deadline at Cannes, where she's promoting her directorial debut, Eleanor The Great, Johansson confirmed she would be open to directing a Marvel Studios movie.
"I think the movies that I like that are big action movies also have the human connectivity piece," she started. "Even producing Black Widow and being a part of the production of that, and the development of the story, and the story between Natasha and Yelena."
"[There is] I think, a way of doing it, a way of maintaining the integrity of the idea of human connection, family, disappointment, all of the things that were themes in [Eleanor the Great], and doing it in a giant way in a giant universe — there’s ways of doing that," Johansson added. "So, yeah, definitely, it could be, it would be fun."
Rumour has it Johansson is attached to a Blonde Phantom Disney+ TV series, a project Sydney Sweeney and Taylor Swift have been attached to by social media scoopers. The show has never been officially announced, but may be what leads to actor and filmmaker stepping behind the camera to direct for Marvel Television.
With Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars on the horizon, the original Black Widow - or one of her Variants - returning surely isn't outside the realm of possibility. If Johansson herself is to be believed, though, she's well and truly done.
"Natasha is dead. She is dead. She's dead. Okay?" the actor recently said. "They just don't want to believe it. 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 it go. She saved the world. Let her have her hero moment."
The Black Widow movie was released in the few theaters still open during the pandemic and on Disney+'s Premier Access service. Unhappy with the impact on the box office bonuses she'd been guaranteed in her contract, Johansson sued the House of Mouse and eventually reached a settlement.
Her relationship with Marvel Studios remained strong during the whole debacle caused by former Disney CEO Bob Chapek, so we wouldn't be shocked if Johansson has at least a cameo role in one of the upcoming Avengers movies.
Would you like to see Johansson direct a Black Widow movie starring Pugh's Yelena Belova?