Natasha Romanoff's journey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe ended with Black Widow, the character’s first standalone film after several appearances in other movies. However, Scarlett Johansson's relationship with Marvel Studios isn’t over yet. It was confirmed that she is working with the studio on a “top secret” project, and she has now revealed that it is “still happening.”
MCU fans saw Johansson bid farewell to one of her most iconic characters in 2021’s Black Widow, Romanoff's final live-action appearance. Not long after the film was released, Marvel boss Kevin Feige revealed that Johansson was working with Marvel Studios in a producing capacity on something he called a “non-Black Widow-related top-secret Marvel Studios project." The comment seemed quite cryptic, but Johansson is still on board.
Feige also revealed the Phase 5 and 6 MCU projects recently, but none seemed to consist of Johansson's secret project. However, Johansson said the project is still happening but is on pause in an interview with ComicBook.com. “It is still happening, [but] not currently because nothing is happening right now. We're all sort of in this holding pattern as we wait out the writers' strike and potentially our own guild strike, and so on and so forth,” she confirmed. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) recently went on strike, which has caused delays to several big projects, both film and television series.
On May 2, 2023, the WGA members went on strike after failed negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Around 11,500 people responsible for writing the shows and movies that fans consume have not gone to work since. Some of their demands include streaming compensation and benefits packages. Since it began, the strike has affected some major projects, including Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures' Spider-Man 4.
Any film or series still in the writing or pre-production phase when the strike began has been affected. Some projects, such as Daredevil: Born Again, have had to pause filming due to the picketing outside the studios. Johansson's secret Marvel project might have been in the writing phase, which means it will be hit indefinitely. While the writers are on strike, many films and series cannot pick up where they left off and will have to wait out the negotiations.
Black Widow is now streaming on Disney Plus.
Source: ComicBook.com