Marvel has already shown us the MCU's new Black Widow

Following along with Marvel timelines almost requires a degree these days but for one fan-favourite hero, her story is looking pretty clear.

Originally portrayed by Scarlet Johansson, Black Widow aka Natasha Romanoff, has been a key part of multiple Marvel projects over the past decade.

Check out the trailer for upcoming Thunderbolts* below!

First appearing in 2010’s Iron Man, Johansson’s Black Widow went on to star in nine overall projects, concluding with her final live-action appearance in 2021’s Black Widow.

However, in the current timeline, Black Widow is dead after sacrificing herself to acquire the Soul Stone in Avengers: Endgame.

Although it is common for characters to make a reappearance, either due to the Multiverse or some other loophole, Johansson is currently out of action but it seems as though she already has a replacement.

It is pretty easy to guess who but for those not in the know, her replacement comes in the form of Yelena Belova, played by Florence Pugh.

First appearing in Black Widow, she is the sister of Natasha Romanoff and trained alongside her in the Red Room to take on the mantle of Black Widow in the future.

So it would only make sense that Yelena would take over and she seems to be doing that in the upcoming Thunderbolts* movie.

With Johansson reportedly taking on the role of producer for Thunderbolts*, some fans believe that she will quite literally pass the mantle onto Yelena in the upcoming movie.

Although the mantle has already been passed unofficially, this will be a full-circle moment for Natasha Romanoff who will pass the title of Black Widow onto a worthy successor.

However, this is just speculation and we could even see Natasha herself return and continue the moniker herself.

Nevertheless, with Thunderbolts* set to hit cinemas on 2 May 2025, we don’t have long to wait to find out.