The next MCU movie to hit theaters will be the long-anticipated Black Widow in May 2020. But those of you who watched Avengers: Endgame (which is everyone reading this, we assume?) know that this film can’t possibly take place in the current timeline of the MCU because, well, Black Widow sacrificed herself in Endgame in exchange for the Soul Stone. Thus, the movie will catch up with the agent after the events of Captain America: Civil War and before Avengers: Infinity War.
Many fans have speculated whether some of the deaths in Endgame will stick or not given Marvel’s upcoming slate of films. Well, we now know the definitive answer for Black Widow, courtesy star Scarlett Johansson.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to promote her upcoming movie Jojo Rabbit (helmed by MCU director Taika Waititi), Johansson was of course asked about Natasha Romanoff and the upcoming Black Widow movie, which she naturally expressed excitement for. Regarding Romanoff’s death in Endgame, Johansson said:
“There’s very few certain things, but death’s pretty certain. But people definitely don’t believe it and have tried to convince me that my character did not actually die, that it exists in a different universe, but I did die.”
Given that Johansson’s time in the MCU stretches all the way back to Romanoff’s first appearance in Iron Man 2 in 2010, she’s spent a lot of time with the character—we’re talking eight MCU appearances alone (if you count that mid-credit appearance in Captain Marvel).
It’s been said that this is the last time Johansson will appear as Black Widow, and parting ways after playing someone for that long is difficult, which she also commented upon:
“Honestly, it brought a closure to me that I needed, cause I was kind of wiped out after that last one [Avengers: Endgame] emotionally and literally.”
We’d be wiped too, especially with shooting Infinity War and Endgame back to back and then jumping into a solo movie! But we’re happy that Johansson is able to end her time as the character in a way that provides her a good resolution, too.