Scarlett Johansson says it would be 'a real miracle' if Marvel Studios brings back Black Widow

Los Angeles: Actor Scarlett Johansson believes her popular superhero character Black Widow died during the events of 2019's Avengers: Endgame and it would be a 'miracle' should production house Marvel Studios choose to resurrect her.

In a recent appearance on the Today show to promote her skincare line The Outset, Johansson addressed speculation she might return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff.

"I think it was the end, right? ... She passed," the 38-year-old actor said, referencing the scene in Avengers: Endgame when Natasha sacrifices herself to obtain the Soul Stone from Thanos, sparing the life of Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton/Hawkeye.

"It would be a miracle. It would be a real Marvel miracle. It would be a marvel. But who knows?" she quipped.

In a previous interaction, Johansson had said she "has no plans to return as" the assassin-turned-Avenger.

The actor made her MCU debut with Iron Man 2 in 2010 and reprised the character in The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and 2021's Black Widow, a prequel, her last appearance.

In 2021, Johansson had sued Disney, Marvel Studios' parent company, for breach of contract over its decision to release her stand-alone film Black Widow on streamer Disney Plus and in theatres simultaneously. The parties settled the lawsuit two months later.

Through its timeline altering plots and prequels, the MCU always has an option to bring fan-favourite characters back from the dead.