Scarlett Johansson reveals who is her current favorite character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

By Sophia Soto | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 11:47 AM ET

The last we saw of Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was in Black Widow, but even after four years, it's impossible not to keep thinking about the impact she had on the franchise, especially after she sacrificed herself to save the world in Avengers: Endgame.

While she has made it clear she won't be reprising her role as Black Widow, she did reveal that she still keeps up with the MCU. "Of course I do, yeah," she told Esquire.

The actress joined back in 2010, appearing in Iron Man 2 . She got her long-overdue solo movie in 2021, which also introduced Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Natasha's adoptive younger sister.

So when asked who her favorite character in this current phase, Johansson didn't hesitate to say, "I mean, I have to say Yelena is my favorite, of course."

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While promoting her most recent Marvel project, Thunderbolts* The New Avengers, Pugh explained to The Hollywood Reporter, "My whole journey with Marvel was because of Scarlett trusting me and Scarlett wanting me to join her movie six years ago. So I always miss her presence, and I always feel like it was such a mean thing to begin the journey with someone and then you never get to work with them again on it. It was kind of wild that was the first and the last time I would get to experience this world with her. But I am genuinely always just hoping that she’s proud. I always have that in the back of my head, like, 'Oh, I hope she’s happy that we came in.' So I do miss her a lot on set, yes. We would have a lot of laughter."

You can watch Black Widow on Disney+.

Sophia Soto

Sophia Soto is a writer and interviewer with a passion for all things entertainment. She is a Senior Reporter at The Nerds of Color and contributes to Yardbarker, Screensphere, Den of Geek, What to Watch, Nerdtropolis, and Temple of Geek. You can see her past work on Remezcla, Young Hollywood, Looper, Paste Magazine, Primetimer, Soundsphere, and Starry Constellation Magazine

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