© Marvel StudiosBlack Widow's writer Jac Schaeffer discusses the future of Scarlett Johansson's Marvel character, addressing whether Natasha Romanoff could return again.
Black Widow - when it eventually gets released following multiple delays - will take a look back into Natasha Romanoff's recent past, with the movie being set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, when the hero is on the run.
But with Marvel fans having seen Natasha meet her tragic end in Avengers: Endgame, when she sacrificed her life so that Clint Barton / Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) could obtain the Soul Stone in order to stop Thanos (Josh Brolin), we know that there is only so far the MCU can take the character's story before her death.
But does Natasha's death mean that Scarlett Johansson won't be appearing in any more Marvel movies after Black Widow's upcoming solo story is told? It seems that we can't be too sure, as Black Widow's co-writer Jac Schaeffer has told ComicBook.com that she can't say with certainty what the future holds for the character.
© Marvel - YouTubeBlack Widow
Related: Black Widow: Release date, trailer, cast and everything you need to know
"Well, you know I was lucky enough to jump on board the Black Widow train when it first left the station and then I moved on to WandaVision and several other very talented writers picked up the pen and continued on," she said.
"So, I can't actually speak to the totality of Black Widow other than to say I'm so excited for it to come out."
With the exact plot details of Black Widow still a secret, and with Marvel no stranger to bringing back deceased characters what with Vision (Paul Bettany) taking a starring role in WandaVision, it seems that we can't rule out another return for Natasha in future, particularly as a lot of her life hasn't been portrayed on screen.
© Marvel StudiosScarlett Johansson as Black Widow
Related: Marvel boss on Black Widow Disney+ release chances
What we do know about Black Widow is that it will see Natasha reunite with her old Red Room family, including Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) and Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian (David Harbour).
It was confirmed in December 2020 that Pugh will be playing Yelena again in the upcoming Hawkeye series for Disney+, starring alongside Renner and Hailee Steinfeld, creating yet more MCU connections.
Disney recently confirmed Black Widow's runtime, announcing that the movie will be 2 hours and 13 minutes long.
Black Widow has a May 7, 2021 release date in the UK and the US.
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