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The MCU has been running for so long that it has had multiple actors join in and retire by now. Some actors, such as Chris Evans, have retired temporarily as he could always be brought back because Captain America is still around. But others like Robert Downey Jr. have retired permanently.
Now, a couple more names have been added to this list of actors who are out for good. Scarlett Johansson and Zoe Saldaña have confirmed that they will not return as their Marvel characters any further. But what about Secret Wars? Will they be back for cameos in Marvel’s biggest crossover event? That will depend on two aspects.
Scarlett Johansson and Zoe Saldaña retire from the MCU
When a franchise runs for almost 15 years, one has to expect that many actors and their characters will come and go. Scarlett Johansson appeared in her last MCU film back in 2021. Since Black Widow was a prequel and her character died in 2019, it’s safe to assume that she won’t be returning.
In an interview with Gwyneth Paltrow on The Goop Podcast, Johansson put the nail in Natasha Romanoff’s coffin as she confirmed that she was truly done with the MCU. She said:
“I’m done. The chapter is over. I kind of did all that I had to do… Also, coming back and playing a character again and again like that over a decade of time is such a unique experience… [Kevin Feige] is such a lover of cinema and storytelling. He really is a fan… I was like 26 years old. I was single; it was fun.”
So, should we think that we won’t see her return as Natasha Romanoff in Avengers: Secret Wars? Earth-199999’s Natasha died, but many expected that a variant could always be brought back in Secret Wars. However, now, that feels highly unlikely.
Besides Johansson, Zoe Saldaña also told The Hollywood Reporter that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will mark the end of her run in the MCU. She said:
“I don’t think this is the end for the Guardians. It is the end for me, for Gamora.”
However, she did say that while her days in the MCU are done, she hopes for Gamora to be recast so that the character continues to inspire a new generation of Marvel viewers. But whether she will change her mind about returning in Secret Wars remains to be seen.
How Black Widow and Gamora could return in Avengers: Secret Wars
MCU actors aren’t shy of lying when talking about their potential roles in future films. Andrew Garfield constantly denied his role in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but he turned out to be the “Werewolf” at the end. Similarly, we cannot go on the word of Scarlett Johansson or Zoe Saldaña as they’d be contractually obligated to keep their future MCU roles a secret.
However, Secret Wars is too far down the line for any contracts to be written down. So, even if Johansson and Saldaña are telling the truth, they could always change their minds when Marvel begins to cast actors for the upcoming crossover. Even then, if these two actors don’t wish to return, Black Widow and Gamora could always return as variants with other actors playing the part.
Avengers: Secret Wars arrives on May 1, 2026.
