Fact Check: Is Scarlett Johansson returning as Black Widow in 'Avengers: Secret Wars'?
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: As the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) continues to expand, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson will be returning as Black Widow in ‘Avengers: Secret Wars.’ The claim has sparked a fan frenzy and speculation from online users, prompting a fact-check into the rumor.
Claim: Scarlett Johansson is returning as Black Widow
According to a viral post on X, Scarlett Johansson has reportedly closed a secret blockbuster deal to return as a multiversal Black Widow variant in the sixth installment of the Avengers series.
The claim has spread on X and Instagram, garnering hundreds of thousands of views as of this writing, triggering mixed reactions among online users.
While many expressed excitement about the rumor, indicating they believed the claim was true, others remained skeptical and questioned its authenticity, prompting a verification.
Fact Check: The claim was intended as satire
However, the claim is false, as there are no reports of the 41-year-old actress closing a secret blockbuster deal to return as the iconic Black Widow or Natasha Romanoff in the 2027 film.
A search on the actress’ or Marvel’s social media accounts does not have any posts that support the viral rumor.
Neither the actress nor the producers or directors have publicly made such an announcement.
If the claim were true, it would not go unreported, but a Google search for the claim returned no relevant results from prominent news and entertainment media outlets.
Additionally, the claim originated from an account called ‘Chaos Crave,’ which describes itself in the bio as a ‘satirical news account.’
A fact check by Grok also confirmed, “This is a satirical claim from a parody account, not real news. There are no credible reports or Marvel confirmation of Scarlett Johansson signing any deal to return as Black Widow.”
Scarlett Johansson confirms Black Widow is dead
In an interview with InStyle in March, 2025, Johansson clarified that Black Widow is "dead" and will not return as the character anytime soon.
“Natasha is dead. She is dead. She's dead. Okay?” Johansson said.
“They just don't want to believe it," Johansson added. "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 it go. She saved the world. Let her have her hero moment.”
