New art brings Scarlett Johnasson’sBlack Widowand Jeremy Renner’sHawkeyeback to theMCUas powerful villains. Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner both joined the MCU in Phase 1, Johansson as Natasha Romanoff’s Black Widow inIron Man 2and Renner as Clint Barton’s Hawkeye inThor. After spending years as world-renowned Avengers, their partnership came to an end followingBlack Widow’s sacrifice inAvengers: Endgame, but there may now be a chance for the pair to reunite in the MCU’s Phase 6.
Robert Downey Jr. was revealed to be rejoining the MCU asiconic Marvel villain Doctor Doomahead of his debut inAvengers: Doomsday, and this casting news was followed by Chris Evans being confirmed to also be returning.There has been speculation that the MCU’s original Avengers cast could return as twisted villains in Phase 6, which could lead toScarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner returningas evil versions of Black Widow and Hawkeye. This has been imagined in striking art shared byarifinitywhich depicts Johansson as the Red Widow and Renner as Ronin.
What Scarlett Johansson & Jeremy Renner’s Villainous Returns Would Mean For Avengers: Doomsday
Other Avengers Are Already Returning In Avengers: Doomsday
Currently, neither Scarlett Johansson nor Jeremy Renner have been confirmed to be reprising their MCU roles in Marvel Studios' upcomingAvengers: Doomsday. However,the fact that a number of other Marvel actors have been revealed to be returning suggests that these original heroes could be next. Another version of arifinity’s art imagines Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton returning as HYDRA soldiers, which is reminiscent of recent speculation thatChris Evans could be returning as a HYDRA-indoctinated Captain America.
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Hawkeye (Archive Footage)
SeeingNatasha Romanoff and Clint Barton return to the MCUas villains would be a brilliant development for the MCU, especially if they are joined by twisted versions of the other founding Avengers.This would give Marvel Studios the opportunity to really show off the possibilities across the multiverse, and would mark the original Avengers cast’s first reunion on-screen since 2019’sAvengers: Endgame. This would create a benchmark moment for the MCU, perhaps helping to makeAvengers: Doomsdaythe franchise’s biggest movie yet.
Our Take On Scarlett Johansson & Jeremy Renner Returning To The MCU As Villains
Black Widow & Hawkeye Would Make Excellent MCU Villains
Black Widow and Hawkeye have always been depicted as the mostmorally-ambiguous members of the Avengers, even though they put their formidable skills to work for good during their careers in the MCU. Their shared background as assassins and trained killers means it would be very easy to imagine them making the move into villainy.Scarlett Johansson could depict a version of the Black Widow who never defected to the United States, while Jeremy Renner may resume his activities as the murderous Ronin, which would be great to see inAvengers: Doomsday.
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The impact of Natasha Romanoff’s demise was felt throughoutBlack WidowandHawkeye, contributing to some incredibly emotional moments.It would be hugely cathartic to see Johansson and Renner reunite on-screen inDoomsday, though the former may be reluctant to rejoin the MCU following her legal battle with Disney and the latter may still be in recovery from his recent snowplow incident. NeitherBlack WidownorHawkeyehave yet been revealed to be returning to the MCU, but this would be very exciting for Phase 6 and beyond.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
