It may not come as a surprise to many, but the director of Black Widow doesn’t think the franchise is over just yet. During a recent interview with Radio Times, filmmaker Cate Shortland was asked directly about the odds of a follow-up to the upcoming solo project. Marvel is known for its endless array of sequels and spin-offs, so the question may seem silly at first glance. However, when you take into account the fact that Scarlett Johansson‘s original Avenger met her demise during the events of Avengers: Endgame, the query seems a lot more rational. Shortland, it seems, is hopeful for a continuation of her film. She just doesn’t think it would include Johansson:
I think following a different character, yes. I think Scarlett is really happy that she’s leaving the party, you know, and she’s not the last to leave. She decided she wanted to go. And I don’t think she would want to come back at the moment.
The suggestion lines up with the director’s previous comments that Black Widow will “pass the baton” from Johansson‘s Natasha Romanoff to Florence Pugh‘s Yelena Belova. It would appear that the project will act as a goodbye to the Black Widow we know and love, while simultaneously welcoming in a new hero to take up the mantle. Pugh is already set to return to the role in Disney+’s Hawkeye, and it seems unlikely she would stop there. So, if a sequel focusing on Yelena were to come to fruition, would Shortland be open to a comeback herself? She seemed hopeful about that as well:
I mean, all the beautiful fights and the spectacle, and I think just creating something really fun and joyous is pretty addictive. So yeah, I would do it again. Yes.
Source: Radio Times, Empire
