Scarlett Johansson Returns for Captain America 3

What role will Black Widow play in the upcoming film?

Story by Matt Cummings

With the incredible success of Captain America: The Winter Solider, Marvel Studios proved it could make a gripping game-changer that has since rippled throughout their movie and television universe. Even Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. got a much-needed boost from the infiltration of HYDRA and has spent half of Season 1 and most of Season 2 dealing with the consequences.

Integral to that success was the role of Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), who made herself known as a deeply-conflicted psychopath. She had ties to the Winter Soldier himself in Bucky Barnes, and her presence was as satisfying as any other part of the Joe and Anthony Russo-directed feature. Thus, it comes as little surprise to learn that ScarJo has been tapped once again to join Cap (Chris Evans) in the upcoming Captain America: Civil War. CBM has learned that she'll join Bucky (Sebastian Stan) and Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr) and others in what will be more of an Avengers movie than a stand-alone Cap adventure.

Civil War, perhaps the best known of recent Marvel runs, will pit Cap against Iron Man as they force various heroes to choose between entering a Superhero Registration program - which would reveal their true identities - or be hunted down as traitors. Unfortunately Marvel doesn't own all the MCU heroes it needs to tell that story proper (Fox owns X-men and Fantastic Four, Sony owns Spider-man and his villains), so look for the story to play out very different than the iconic series. Although we've reported that Marvel and Sony will perhaps join forces to let Spider-man return, it won't be for Civil War, as that script is already completed. Therefore, how will Marvel use Black Widow? We know her loyalty to Cap, but it's clear that she'll have problems with Bucky - since she took away her bikini prowess with a slug back in the day - so it's possible that she'll join on the side of Stark.

Shooting starts in April, so we won't have long to figure out where Black Widow and the entire MCU will stand on the issue of the Superhero Registration Act.

Captain America: Civil War arrives on May 6, 2016 followed by Doctor Strange on November 4, 2016.

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