Scarlett Johansson gives a blunt answer to her possible Marvel Cinematic Universe return as Black Widow. Johansson was a major feature of the MCU, with her debut as Black Widow dating back to 2010's Iron Man 2. Her time in the role came to an end twice. First, Black Widow died while sacrificing herself in Avengers: Endgame so Hawkeye could get the Soul Stone for the Avengers to beat Thanos. Then, the actress returned for her character's long-awaited solo movie, 2021's Black Widow, which was a prequel story that introduced Natasha Romanoff's possible MCU replacement, her sister Yelena Belova.

Speaking with fellow MCU co-star Gwyneth Paltrow on The goop Podcast, Johansson was pretty clear about her time as Black Widow having come to an end. While the actress noted how special it was to be part of the MCU for a decade giving life to Black Widow, it appears that Johansson is pretty set on not coming back as the character. Johansson said, "I did all that I had to do," so the actress feels like she has already accomplished all she could with the character. Check out the full quote below:

“I’m done. Chapter is over. I did all that I had to do. Also, coming back and playing a character again and again, over a decade of time, is such a unique experience.”

How Yelena Belova Can Be The New Black Widow In The MCU

Black Widow's post-credits scene included a connection to Yelena's next MCU appearance, with the character meeting Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who will assemble the title team of next year's MCU movie Thunderbolts. The film features an exciting roster for the Marvel version of the Suicide Squad, with Florence Pugh's Yelena being joined by Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Red Guardian (David Harbour), and Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen).

Thunderbolts' story gives Yelena a chance to take over as the MCU's new Black Widow, honoring her sister's legacy. Yelena will be joined in the movie by Bucky Barnes, a character who shares a deep connection with her sister in the comics. While the MCU revealed that Black Widow had met Bucky during his Winter Soldier phase in the past, the MCU has never touched on the characters' romantic history that exists in the comics. Thunderbolts could provide a version of that romance, with Yelena taking over as the Black Widow part of the couple.

With the Avengers soon needing to assemble a new team to take on the Council of Kangs in the upcoming Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Yelena could join the team as the new Black Widow. The hero already has the backup of an original Avenger, as she had a run-in with Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye in the character's Disney+ series, which was set in motion by Thunderbolts' Valentina. In the series, Yelena also befriended new Hawkeye Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), and the duo's electric back-and-forth could develop into a long-lasting friendship, repeating the iconic Black Widow and Hawkeye friendship that has been one of the MCU's high points.

Source: The goop Podcast