Marvel Studios kicked off its Phase 4 theatrical run last year with Black Widow, finally giving Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff her first MCU solo project after a decade of service. The solo film helped bring theaters back into prominence while setting the stage for various supporting characters to play major roles in the future.
While it’s unclear if Johansson herself will reprise Natasha on screen, she’s already in line to reunite with Marvel Studios as a producer on an extra secret project. Meanwhile, Florence Pugh brought Yelena Belova back with a vengeance in Hawkeye, while Julia Louis-Dreyfus will undoubtedly bring Valentina Allegra de Fontaine into the story for more shadiness in the future.
Besides the aforementioned players confirmed to be a part of Marvel’s upcoming projects, there is still the mystery of when other lesser-developed supporting characters will add more to the Marvel narrative. Recently, one of those supporting stars shared his thoughts on potentially becoming a multiple-time MCU actor.
O-T Fagbenle on Potential Marvel Return
During an interview with Slash Film, Black Widow star O-T Fagbenle addressed the chances of coming back to play Rick Mason after his debut in the 2021 solo film.
While he couldn't say much on the subject, he made it clear that his role in Black Widow "wasn't a one-and-done" situation:
"I mean, you know what, with Marvel, I'm never sure how much they can say about stuff, but I'll just say that it wasn't a one-and-done conversation."
Fagbenle shared how he looked back to Rick Mason's time in the comics, which dates back to 1989, for inspiration on what he could bring to the movie. However, he admitted that most of the development came from conversations with the movie's head writer, Eric Pearson, who was more instrumental in bringing this version of the character to life:
"I mean, to be honest, I did start to do all of that. I had conversations with Eric, who wrote Black Widow, who's become a friend of mine, he's a genius and a beautiful person. In our conversations, in some ways I feel like this incarnation of Mason is an Eric creation ... So although I did have a little peek at the original, I very soon just became focused on what Eric created for Black Widow."
When Will Black Widow Star Return?
Almost no actor from Black Widow was the subject of more speculation than O-T Fagbenle, particularly considering his actual role turned out to be only a minimal one in the movie's final cut. The actor only saw screen time in less than a handful of scenes as Rick Mason helped Nat get her gear in order, and he wasn't included in any of the major action or drama sequences.
Even considering his limited appearance in the movie, however, these quotes indicate that Black Widow was far from the end for Rick in his MCU journey. Given that both Yelena and Valentina are already on their way to other appearances in Phase 4 and beyond, fans should be on the lookout for Fagbenle's comeback as well.
With no Black Widow sequel officially planned, it's a mystery at this point where Rick Mason could show his face again and make an impact on somebody else's adventure. But looking at how the actor made it clear that this wasn't a one-and-done deal for him, it should only be a matter of time before Rick and his resources come back into the fray.
Black Widow is now streaming on Disney+ and is available for purchase through physical and digital media.
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