Lindsey Vonn battled relentless knee pain for decades, enduring multiple ACL reconstructions, meniscus repairs, and numerous procedures to maintain her skiing at the highest level. She shocked the world with her 2019 retirement, declaring her body broken beyond repair, only to make a dramatic return in December 2024. And by March 2025, she was back on the podium, finishing second at the World Cup Finals in Idaho. Now, with her sights on the next Winter Olympics, she is pushing every limit, and NBC has already spotlighted her comeback in their latest promo with Scarlett Johansson.

Dropping a banger promo for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics, NBC brought two-time Academy Award nominee and our very own Black Widow, Scarlett Johansson, to sit down with Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn to reveal their personal scar stories. During the 45-second promo, the two legends in their own right gathered around an outdoor fire overlooking the beautiful Cortina d’Ampezzo and the majestic Dolomites.

And when Lindsey Vonn revealed her determination to make an Olympic comeback, Johansson said, “The things we do for love.” This sparked a playful exchange as they compared their real-life battle scars, with Vonn showing marks from her ACL injury and her broken arm, proudly noting she never gave up.

At the same time, Johansson revealed her injuries from her role in Jurassic World Rebirth, echoing the legendary injury-comparing moment between Quint and Hooper in Spielberg’s Jaws. The snippet ends with Vonn asking, “Why do we do this, again?”

“Because we love it,” Johansson replied, with Vonn poetically repeating the same line before the video ends.

Vonn had shocked fans by announcing a comeback after undergoing a partial knee replacement in 2024, which left her pain-free. Now set to return to the Olympics, the excitement is palpable! Jenny Storms, Chief Marketing Officer, NBCUniversal Television & Streaming, said, “As the most decorated downhiller in history — and someone who pushes herself to the edge, sometimes skiing at nearly 80 miles per hour — Lindsey Vonn is an absolute powerhouse.”

“When we conceived this spot, we knew Lindsey needed a counterpart who was equally fearless, and global action star Scarlett Johansson immediately came to mind. Although this spot has a playful tone — including its wink to the iconic Jaws scene — it also showcases Scarlett’s athleticism and Lindsey’s unprecedented level of determination,” Storms added.

It was a huge decision for her to make in her 40s, but thanks to her miraculous surgery, things are now working in her favor.

Lindsey Vonn explains why she opted to make a comeback after 2019

Vonn’s physical challenges had dictated her retirement, so she aimed for this comeback on her own terms, emphasizing that the surgery had renewed her life. Talking to KING-TV Seattle, she explained that her partial knee replacement surgery was the best thing she’d ever done, “It changed my life forever, and no matter what happens, my life is forever different because I was in so much pain before, and it really affected almost everything I did in my life.”

The 82-time World Cup winner added, “Now, I can do whatever I set my mind to. You know, if I want to play tennis for 2 hours, I actually can. If I want to go hiking or biking or, you know, scuba diving, whatever I want to do or race in the Olympics, you know, my body is saying yes. And for the longest time, it said no.”

As Lindsey Vonn sets her sights on a Winter Olympics comeback, can the former champion add more accolades to her illustrious career in Cortina? Only time will tell. The skiing veteran also vividly mentioned that she will enjoy her second career stint rather than worrying about the result.