I personally think telling the story of a female hero already seasoned in her work and effected by it is much more intriguing than having Johansson pose as her character while she’s in her early ’20s.
It would disconnect Natasha from all her work in the MCU, dating back to 2010’s Iron Man 2.
Johansson seems to want to look forward with the role, and that honestly may be the best way to go for the movie– with some unique exploration of her troubled past woven in as well.
When Scarlett Johansson was asked about the solo project early this year, she showed an interest in telling the story of Natasha where she has room to finally have agency as a character after a long career of taking orders in her past.