"Don’t want to mess with that," says Scarlett Johansson on her comeback as Natasha in 'Avengers: Doomsday'

Scarlett Johansson has seemingly confirmed that she is not returning to the MCU with Avengers: Doomsday. The Black Widow star is currently busy with two of her upcoming projects: Jurassic World Rebirth and Eleanor the Great. The former shows her entering the Jurassic Park franchise while the latter marks her directorial debut, set to premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

Although caught up in their promotions, she still gets asked whether she would make a comeback to the MCU.

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Johansson responded to the question with,

“It would be very hard for me to understand in what capacity [returning] would make sense for me, for the character that I play. I miss my buddies and really would love to be with them forever, but what works about the character is that her story is complete. I don’t want to mess with that. For fans too—it’s important for them.”

Scarlett Johansson will not return in Avengers: Doomsday, but misses working with her Marvel co-stars

Scarlett Johansson understands that her character Natasha has a specific purpose in the MCU and believes it has been fulfilled through her arc in Black Widow, even if it was admittedly tragic. She hopes fans let go of expecting her return to the MCU movies.

During her conversation with InStyle magazine in March 2025, she revealed that Natasha Romanoff won't be returning in Avengers: Doomsday, much to the chagrin of Marvel fans,

“Natasha is dead. She is dead. She’s dead. Okay? 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 her go. She saved the world. Let her have her hero moment.”

Yet, she has been an important cast member in these blockbusters, and her absence in the upcoming chapters impacts her as much as it does her character's fans.

While Johansson acknowledges that her arc as Black Widow is complete, she misses working with her Marvel co-stars. Still, although technically absent, she will live on through the memories of Yelena Belova and Alexei Shostakov, who have become a part of the New Avengers. They have a long history with Natasha, and much like Thunderbolts*, Avengers: Doomsday might explore their pasts in this direction.

On the other hand, it's also possible that Yelena would take over the Black Widow moniker in Avengers: Doomsday, now that she has become a part of the Avengers herself.

If not Black Widow, who will star in Avengers: Doomsday?

Despite Natasha Romanoff's absence, Avengers: Doomsday shows Scarlett Johansson's Avengers co-stars like Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, and Paul Rudd returning to the cast.

Here is the cast of Avengers: Doomsday revealed so far: