Black Widow: Younger version of Scarlett Johansson’s character is played by Milla Jovovich’s daughter

Film features a number of scenes depicting Natasha Romanoff as a child

Marvel Studios has released its first theatrical film in over a year, Black Widow.

The film sees Scarlett Johansson reprise the role of Natasha Romanoff (AKA Black Widow), which she previously inhabited in numerous films across the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Though Johansson’s character was killed off during the events of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, the new film takes the form of a prequel.

Black Widow features a number of flashback scenes depicting Black Widow as a child.

This younger version of the character is portrayed by Ever Anderson, the 13-year-old daughter of Resident Evil star Milla Jovovich and filmmaker Paul W S Anderson.

Anderson previously appeared as Young Alice/Red Queen in the 2016 film Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.

Fans expressed their surprise at discovering the casting choice on social media, with one person describing it as “wild”.

Ever Anderson in ‘Black Widow’ (Marvel Studios)

“I thought young Natasha looked just like Mila Jovovich...turns out she is her daughter,” wrote another person.

“Holy s***, Milla Jovovich’s daughter Ever played Young Natasha!” wrote someone else.

Black Widow is out now in UK cinemas, and is also available to rent on Disney Plus via the streaming service’s paid Premiere Access feature.

Since the release of Black Widow, Marvel fans have been discussing the end credits scene, which features a crossover with one of the MCU’s recent Disney Plus series.

The scene, which continues Marvel’s tradition of including short, dramatic plot developments after a film’s credits have rolled, also sets up a central conflict in one of Marvel’s forthcoming series.