Key Marvel roles played by Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson is primarily recognized within the Marvel Cinematic Universe for portraying Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow. Across feature films and Disney+ series, she appears as a core Avenger and later in legacy content. She also contributes voice work to animated projects. The following sections clarify each character, the project type, release year, and narrative significance without speculation about unreleased material.
Live-action performances overview
Johansson’s live-action roles center on Natasha Romanoff, a trained spy and Avenger who evolves from supporting figure to lead. Her first appearance establishes her within the larger ensemble before headlining her own story. Later appearances address legacy and fallout. This list is limited to released MCU projects.
| Character | Project | Year | Role type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow | Iron Man 2 | 2010 | Supporting appearance |
| Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow | The Avengers | 2012 | Core ensemble |
| Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow | Captain America: The Winter Soldier | 2014 | Core ally |
| Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow | Avengers: Age of Ultron | 2015 | Core Avenger |
| Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow | Captain America: Civil War | 2016 | Central Avenger |
| Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow | Avengers: Infinity War | 2018 | Core Avenger |
| Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow | Avengers: Endgame | 2019 | Lead Avenger in finale |
| Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow | What If…? season 1, episode 5 | 2021 | Alternate timeline variant |
| Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow | Hawkeye, episode "So This Is Christmas?" | 2021 | Live-action cameo |
| Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow | Black Widow | 2021 | Solo feature; origin and legacy explored |
MCU appearances by project type
- Feature films: Appears as Black Widow in 6 core Avengers films between 2010 and 2019.
- Disney+ series: Appears in live-action episode of Hawkeye and in animated What If…? episode.
- Standalone film: Lead role in Black Widow (2021), exploring backstory and consequences.
- No current announced plans for further live-action appearances as of released material.
Voice and animated contributions
Johansson expands her MCU footprint through voice work, which is distinct from her live-action arc. These performances reach younger audiences and explore scenarios outside the main timeline. The table below separates live-action from voice roles for clarity.
| Project | Role | Year | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel's Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher | Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow | \n2014 | Animated direct-to-video |
| What If…? episode 5 | Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow | 2021 | Animated anthology |
Distinction from look-alike performances
Other actresses have played Black Widow in non-MCU contexts, and Johansson has voiced the character only in MCU-affiliated animation. She does not portray Black Widow in non-Marvel films or video games, and no Marvel TV movie beyond the series and animated entries listed above features her as this character. This clarification helps avoid confusion with similarly styled projects outside the primary continuity.
Canonical status and continuity notes
All listed projects are considered part of the primary MCU continuity unless noted as variant or animated explorations. What If…? episodes are canon in the multiverse framework but may diverge from main timeline events. The character’s journey spans from supporting ally to central figure and finally to legacy narrative in solo content. No future feature film casting has been confirmed beyond released material.
Summary of roles at a glance
Scarlett Johansson’s MCU work clusters around one primary character across multiple formats. The consistency of portrayal helps maintain recognition, while the formats—feature film, streaming series, and animation—show how the universe expands into different media.
| Summary attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Primary character | Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow |
| First MCU appearance | Iron Man 2 (2010) |
| Headline film | Black Widow (2021) |
| Total live-action features | 6 (Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame) |
| Animated appearances | What If…? (1 episode), Marvel's Avengers Confidential |
| Disney+ series appearance | Hawkeye (1 live-action cameo) |
FAQ
Reader questions
Does Scarlett Johansson play any role besides Black Widow in Marvel?
Within released MCU material, her primary and nearly exclusive role is Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow. She contributes voice work in animation but does not play a separate live-action character for Marvel.
Did she appear in the Disney+ series What If…?
Yes, she appears as a voice performing an alternate timeline version of Natasha Romanoff in one episode.
Is Black Widow appearing in upcoming projects?
No upcoming Marvel project with Johansson as Black Widow has been announced or released. Current discussion remains focused on already published content.