Scarlett Johansson on why Black Widow couldn’t have been made 10 years ago

Scarlett Johansson has an answer for those who think it’s too late for a Black Widow movie.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has proved that there really is no such thing as superhero fatigue and fans have an appetite for all characters. Still, some wonder why a Black Widow solo movie is coming in 2020, ten years after the character was introduced in Iron Man 2. There is no one better to deliver the answer than Scarlett Johansson.

Johansson’s Black Widow character is a central pillar in the MCU, playing a major role in The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Avengers: Endgame among other movies. And despite her character’s fate in Endgame, Johansson will finally get the chance to lead her own Marvel movie with Black Widow.

Johansson is out promoting her Netflix film Marriage Story. But much like her co-star Adam Driver has had to answer Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker questions, Johansson is inevitably asked Marvel questions.

On Thursday night’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Scarlett Johansson first took on the question of who would win a fight: Black Widow or Kylo Ren. She then explained to Stephen Colbert why Black Widow is better off coming out in 2020 when the character has already fully developed on screen.

As mentioned, it may have taken some fans by surprise to see how Natasha Romanoff’s story ended in Avengers: Endgame without a Black Widow solo movie first. But Marvel has proven in the past that its movies don’t have to be released in chronological order when it comes to the (confusing) timeline established by the movies.

And while any actor or actress would probably love a chance to lead his or her own superhero movie, Scarlett Johansson seems satisfied with the plan laid out for Black Widow. The actress previously referred to the movie as “closure” which may support Colbert’s theory that the eighth on-screen appearance for Black Widow is her last.

There have been a number of hints about Natasha’s past scattered throughout the Marvel movies. There have been enough gaps in the timeline to make fans wonder what the character was doing while her fellow Avengers’ stories were being told.

From a storytelling perspective, that may make things a little more intriguing. Black Widow’s ending has already been written and her origin is known. This movie will fill in the important middle chapters of her arch while also giving fans a better sense of what drove Black Widow in the events between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Endgame. It could also answer some lingering questions about the MCU’s past as well as set up the future even further.

Black Widow is set to arrive in theaters in May 2020. What do you expect from the movie? Do you wish it came out sooner? Let us know in the comment section below and keep checking Last Night On for more updates and highlights.