Why did Gamora return but not Black Widow, even though they both died in the same way? The main reason is that Gamora died in Vormir before Thanos' snap, whereas Natasha died after Thanos' snap.
Johansson's return comes after her character's untimely demise in Avengers: Endgame, back in 2019. She's now set to bring the character back to life on three upcoming Marvel movies.
The Russo Brothers claim that the Soul Stone only works as a one-way exchange. While Red Skull does say “An everlasting EXCHANGE. A soul FOR A soul.” he really means, you must exchange a soul to get the soul stone, not that you can exchange the soul stone for a soul. So, in short, Natasha wasn't allowed to come back.
Avengers: Endgame saw Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) sacrifice herself at Vormir to obtain the Soul Stone, helping to undo the Thanos snap which saw 50% of the universe disintegrate.
However, the emotional scene has led fans to question why Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow didn't receive a farewell scene after losing her life in the quest to obtain the soul stone. In an new interview with Entertainment Tonight, co-director Joe Russo explained that it's all to do, quite rightly, with closure.
However, the American actress has recently announced that Black Widow, the movie that she is arguably best known for, will mark the end of her time in the Marvel Universe. In 2021, Johansson sued Disney for a breach of contract following Black Widow's simultaneous release in theatres and on Disney +.
Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson has confirmed that she has no plans to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the future. Johansson joined fellow Marvel alum and actress Gwyneth Paltrow — who played Pepper Potts — on an episode of The Goop Podcast.
Los Angeles: Actress Scarlett Johansson, known for her role as Black Widow in 'Iron Man 2' and the 'Avengers' movies, including 2021's 'Black Widow', has announced that she does not intend to make a comeback to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
We assumed that she probably disappeared back to space. After all, 2014 Gamora was technically still part of Thanos' army. She probably had some things to sort out having betrayed her adoptive father and witnessed his death at the hands of the Avengers. Ultimately, the scene was cut due to its redundancy.
Nebula didn't pre-warn Nat and Clint because she didn't realize that Gamora's death was linked to the retrieval of the Infinity Stone.
Why wasn't Gamora at Tony Stark's funeral? Gamora's absence from Tony Stark's funeral in Avengers: Endgame can be attributed to a simple fact: there was no reason for her to be there. The Gamora we saw in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and Infinity War is dead and never met Tony.
Pugh first appeared as Yelena Belova in Black Widow (2021) After Endgame, Belova essentially became the MCU's next Black Widow and was last seen in the 2021 Disney+ series, Hawkeye.
Yelena Belova in Marvel Comics
At age 15, Yelena Belova is recruited and raised in the Red Room as a promising young assassin and the replacement Black Widow.
An upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film will serve as a sequel to the 2021's "Black Widow," according to Marvel Studios executive Andy Park.
Her role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has catapulted her into a realm not many actresses have visited, as her recurring role as Black Widow has brought her monumental success. However, with great regard, comes great endings — and as of this year, Johansson has confirmed she will no longer be a part of the MCU.
Natasha Romanoff died in Avengers: Endgame, and it is unlikely fans will ever get to see that exact version of the character come back to life. Since then, however, Marvel has introduced the multiverse.
While the actor has been clearly hesitant to return due to him being very protective of Steve Rogers' legacy in the MCU, Evans seems to be pretty clear that he hasn't ruled out any form of comeback.
"I'm done," Johansson told Gwyneth Paltrow on her episode of the Goop Podcast (via Variety). "Chapter is over. I did all that I had to do. Also coming back and playing a character again and again, over a decade of time, is such a unique experience."
And now, two years after Johansson's secret MCU project was announced, hearing the actress say she's done with the franchise indicates that things went sour behind the scenes. Black Widow was everyone's favorite female character in the MCU.
As mentioned above, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty has been delayed by Marvel and will now hit cinemas on May 1, 2026. That's a move of one year from its initial release date of May 2, 2025 and has also led to Avengers: Secret Wars being moved from May 5, 2026 to May 7, 2027.
Yelena Belova
Since then, Belova has been seen in other Marvel projects including Hawkeye, and will reprise her role in the new Thunderbolts movie. That being said, it is unlikely that Belova would join the Avengers.
Revenge mission. Sometime after Natasha gave her life to get the Soul Stone and help thwart Thanos' dastardly plans in Avengers: Endgame, Yelena takes her dog Fanny to visit her grave.
She, like other Black Widow assassins created by the dreaded Red Room, was subjected to a forced hysterectomy during training, and therefore cannot menstruate.
Yelena was born in Moscow, Soviet Russia; at the age of 15 she was recruited by the GRU. After the death of her trainer, Pyotr Vasilievich Starkovsky, she is activated as the new Black Widow and deployed to investigate.