Although she has not yet been confirmed to return, Scarlett Johansson is now primed for an MCU return thanks to Marvel Studios' recent casting decisions.
Every Avengers title is a big one, but Doomsday seems to be going above and beyond even the likes of Infinity War and Endgame.
While the MCU has spent five years trying to usher in a new era post-Endgame (which includes a world without Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff), it is reverting to its most trusted format, which consists of the Russos in directors' chairs and a cast that features Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans.
Scarlett Johansson's MCU Return Could Not Be More Perfectly Set Up
At San Diego Comic-Con 2024, it was officially announced that Robert Downey Jr. would return to the MCU to play Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. This film replaced Avengers: The Kang Dynasty following Jonathan Majors' legal issues.
While Downey's confirmed involvement shocked many fans, a piece of news that truly broke the MCU fandom's corner of the internet was when Chris Evans was more recently confirmed also to have a role in the 2026 film.
Since Downey Jr. and Evans are now official cast members of Avengers: Doomsday, Scarlett Johansson is the only cast member from the original Avengers team in the first film not to have a role in the upcoming movie.
Chris Hemsworth's Thor, Mark Ruffalo's Hulk, and Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye are all still alive and well in the MCU, so they are almost guaranteed to return anyway, meaning that the original gang is nearly all back together.
Before Evans' casting, it would not have been an issue for Johansson to sit Doomsday out. But since Evans was confirmed to be in the movie, it would be too perfect not to include Johansson and bring back some version of Black Widow.
The actress' return would be ideal for several reasons. As mentioned, it would mean all six original Avengers would be in the same film again for the first time since Endgame (also marking the first time they would be together in seven years once the movie comes out in 2026).
However, if Johansson were to be involved, it would also serve up a full-circle moment between her and Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova.
Fans saw how close Yelena and Natasha were as children and then how they reunited in Black Widow. Unfortunately, since Natasha died in Endgame, Black Widow was the only project that featured the two characters together.
If Johansson were to return, though, it would make for a perfect reunion for the two sisters.
It is also important to remember how close Natasha was to Hawkeye and that he watched her die in Endgame. If Natasha were to come back, it would make for a highly emotional scene between the two characters.
While many would likely be excited to see Johansson's original Black Widow return for one more adventure, there are a few ways she could be factored into the story, all of which make perfect sense.
How Could Black Widow Return?
Fans know how Natasha sacrificed herself in Avengers: Endgame so that the Avengers could receive the Soul Stone and stop Thanos. Since her death was so impactful and selfless, it would almost seem a disservice to her character to resurrect her from the dead.
However, the MCU has been deeply exploring the Multiverse throughout the post-Endgame era, and one major perk of utilizing the Multiverse is bringing in Variants.
It is possible that one of Natasha Romanoff's Variants could be brought into the mix to help the Avengers fight Doctor Doom. That would allow her to reunite with Yelena while sharing the screen with some of the character's longtime friends, such as Hawkeye and Hulk.
However, one popular theory currently swirling around the MCU fandom is that an evil version of the Avengers, led by Downey Jr.'s Doom, could be present in Doomsday.
According to the theory, Chris Evans could play an evil HYDRA version of Captain America (which would make Doomsday's newest official cast member even more interesting), and the other original Avengers would be villainous Variants of their usual selves.
The movie could introduce an evil version of Johansson's Natasha Romanoff if true. Although that would be completely different from the Natasha fans are used to, it wouldn't make Johansson's return any less perfect.
While it would be heartwarming to see Natasha reunite with Yelena, Hawkeye, and other characters, it would also be just as interesting to see those same characters have to deal with a downright evil version of her.
Including a rogue Black Widow would be especially interesting to see standing across from Yelena. Black Widow showcased how much Yelena loved and looked up to Natasha, so fighting a sinister version of her sister would be emotional.
Since Natasha's death in Endgame was so impactful, her return as some Variant would make the most sense. Since Johansson is the only cast member from the original Avengers team not to be confirmed for Doomsday, it would almost be a tragedy for her to be absent.
The upcoming movie would be the perfect place for her to return one last time. Johansson said she would never return to the MCU as an actress, but things can always change.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to release in theaters on May 1, 2026.
