Scarlett Johansson was sent into a state of panic during a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert when the host grilled her on the future of Black Widow.
As you’ve likely heard by now, Natasha Romanoff’s upcoming solo movie will be set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War as the heroine reconnects with her old pre-S.H.I.E.L.D. peers.
Given that Johansson’s character sacrificed herself in this year’s Avengers: Endgame, you may not think that Black Widow has many stories left to tell. However, if her first standalone film is a big enough hit, then there remain a few potential pathways for a comeback, be it in further prequels, some alternate timeline stories or (in what would admittedly be a controversial move) a reversal of her recent death.
The question therefore remains of whether or not Black Widow truly will be Nat’s swan song, but when Colbert asked Johansson point blank if this was the case, the actress became nervously evasive.
With Colbert repeatedly pushing for a “yes or no” to his question, Johansson had to ask her host to “calm down,” before admitting:
“I am so wound up right now, I don’t know what to answer.”
Johansson went on to joke that there was a Marvel representative “waiting with a dart gun” if she said the wrong thing. After remarking once more that Colbert’s questioning was getting her “all wound up,” she then added:
“I’m afraid something’s gonna slip and my palms are sweaty.”
It may be tempting to read into Johansson’s non-answer as a sign that Marvel is in fact considering future outings for Nat, but given how often the stars of the MCU have accidentally let some intel slip, you couldn’t blame Johansson for being extra careful either way.
In any case, we’ll find out if Nat’s first solo movie leaves us wanting more when Black Widow hits theaters on May 1st, 2020.