Disney Revives Live-Action ‘Tangled’ With Scarlett Johansson

Disney’s is untangling another live-action adaptation after putting it on ice earlier this year. News broke this afternoon that the once-shelved live-action Tangled movie is now back in development at Disney, with Scarlett Johansson being eyed to star as Mother Gothel. The project was placed on a back burner earlier this year following the poor performance of Snow White, which was review bombed and also grossed only $200 million against a $250 million budget. There’s no word on any additional casting for the live-action Tangled movie, or when the film could potentially be released.

It was reported last year, as the project picked up steam, that Michael Gracey, famed for his work directing The Greatest Showman (Hugh Jackman), would direct the live-action Tangled movie. Despite the delay in development, Gracey is still in line to direct the film with a script from Jennifer Kaytin Robinson. While this isn’t confirmed, it’s hard not to look at the success of another Disney live-action remake like Lilo & Stitch as a reason to bring Tangled back into development. Snow White may have floundered, but Lilo & Stitch debuted with solid reviews and also became the first movie of 2025 to gross over $1 billion globally.

Scarlett Johansson is best known for her role as Black Widow in the MCU, and she’s also a two-time Oscar nominee for her roles in Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit. She recently joined the Jurassic World franchise with Rebirth, and she’s also in line to make her directorial debut on Eleanor the Great, which debuted at TIFF earlier this year to mixed reviews. Johansson has even been cast as Carol Blevins in the upcoming thriller Featherwood.

Is Scarlett Johansson Coming Back to the MCU?

At this time, it seems highly unlikely that Scarlett Johansson will ever return to the MCU and reprise her role as Black Widow. The character met her fate in Avengers: Endgame, and after a prequel movie to kick off Phase 4, she seemingly has closure and the perfect ending to her story. All hope isn’t necessarily lost, though. Several of Johansson’s long-time Marvel co-stars, such as Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey Jr., are coming back for Avengers: Doomsday. Chris Evans also returned in Deadpool & Wolverine. Money talks, and a big chunk of change might just be enough to get Johansson on board with a multiversal cameo in a future Avengers movie.

Stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of the live-action Tangled movie.